Flash SI: What's A Speedster To Do?
by Sliksick
Summary: Our SI gets himself tossed into some dark corner of the DC-52 Universe into the body of one Barry Allen, otherwise known as the Flash. So what is our confused and pragmatic character to do? Toss out the script, make some changes, and see who he can screw with without coming off as some diabolical Chessmaster. And without pissing off Batman as well.
1. I Am WHERE Now?

**Wrote this as a writing exercise to help me get over my writer's block for my other stories.**

 **Not exactly my best work.**

 **Still, had potential, so if anyone wants to adopt it, all they have to do is PM me.**

 **This is mostly a prequel as it were to the 'Justice League' cartoon timeline but it uses the Arrow-verse as a launching point. Granted, some events don't really line up (Martian Manhunter a prime example), but I think it could be done.**

 **Hopefully, this doesn't turn into a serious fic. I wanted this to be sort of a lighter toned story, what with an SI who has common sense and knowledge of the world he is now in to alter it for the better.**

 **Still, maybe you readers will enjoy it. For now, I will leave it as it is.**

* * *

"… please check your bags, the train will be arriving to Starling City within the hour."

I woke up in shock, covered in sweat, from what felt like a nightmare.

Flashes only – darkness, followed by a light, maybe a gate… a pale woman dressed in black, a girl with crazy hair and madness in her eyes… a man with a weird book in chains, shaking his head in annoyance… a few other figures behind them as well.

A strange being wearing a mask with multiple faces circling his head.

A wall in what appeared to be space made of some strange stone, with faces and bodies making it up, almost like they were guarding something.

A kaleidoscope show as I fell down a tunnel, floating through some storm, whispers in my ear.

Finally, a glowing hand reached out to me and… nothing.

I looked around, realized I was sitting in an empty booth on a moving train.

Trains were still a thing?

No one paid attention to my panicked awakening. Granted, most were busy doing things, like reading or working on their laptops.

My hand went to my forehead, wiping off the sweat.

Panic again – not my hair. Too short and spiky. I had longer hair, smoother.

Checked my hand – not mine either. Wrong calluses, fingers too long. Nails weren't chewed due to nervous tick.

Noticed the smell as well. Reminded me too much of a hospital room, what with the antiseptics and chemicals.

Looked down - clothing choices off as well. Too bright, I preferred neutral colors.

Wait – Starling City? Shit…

Hand in the left pocket – thank god, still right-handed - and checked the ID.

Nice, wallet filled with cash. ID, ID,… Found it.

Bartholomew Henry Allen.

 _Shit._

Noticed the face – I look like Grant Gustin.

Except I have blond hair and blues eyes.

Not the worst combination – definitely a plus in my corner. I wasn't a looker before.

Really odd when on Grant's face. Fits the comic book character though.

Wait, comic?

I checked the phone. No Apple logo – Wayne Tech. Huh, made sense. Is Steve Jobs still a thing though? What about Pixar?

Pin in the thought: did I override Barry or is this reincarnation?

As if on command, a memory dump of Barry's life went through my head.

Huh – I know chemistry and criminology now. Cool.

Must be what Neo felt like. Thank God Matrix is still a thing here.

Damn, was Barry a beta personality? Maybe becoming a hero gave him the personality boost he needed.

Popular culture mostly same here compared to back home. Big shots were still around. Thank God Kubrick and Spielberg were universal.

Stephenie Meyer is also around. What is she, death proof like her sparkling emo vampires?

The good TV shows and cartoons were also present, so plus in that corner. Don't think I can get rid of my addiction just yet.

Damn, no "West Wing" in this Universe. More seasons of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" though. Got to remember to check what other differences there are.

Huh… Metropolis is in this universe. Not Arrow-verse then. Got to be careful then. I never bothered reading comics or paying attention to names. Big shots I knew, but small details and timeline? Not so much.

I blame the cartoons – they were more entertaining.

Shows were okay.

On the other hand, no legal issues about using all of the Justice League.

Superman has been active for slightly longer then Arrow. Means Supergirl is maybe a year or two away. Math works – alien invasion crossover was three seasons later for Arrow and Supergirl had to be active for a while before that.

Can't visit though, Manhunter would be an issue. How the hell do you explain _this_ to an alien? Actually, is Manhunter in this reality? I mean, it looks like Arrow-verse, but could it be more in line with comic and cartoons where John is captured and experimented? Questions for later.

Oh, got to remember that aliens are the norm in certain parts then – unless it's different here. Damn, and here I thought I would find an alien bar in Central City.

On the other hand – meta aliens. Can that even happen? Sure, some aliens weren't exactly humanoid, but DNA is DNA and it's not like dark matter cares.

No Batman, however. Or is it?

Quick Google search for Gotham – yep, suspected sightings, but Harvey Dent is still DA. So before the timeline of the cartoon then, but he is active.

Is it weird Google is multiversal?

Don't care. Just be glad it exists. Maybe I should invest in Bruce's company then.

Okay, priority check. I am Barry now – memories, warts and all.

Thank god he wasn't a virgin before Iris.

That would have been disturbing.

More active in college then I expected though. Guess innocent, clumsy, and friendly **does** get you laid, even if you aren't the girl next door type.

And, eww. Yeah, that's changing right off the bat. How in the right mind did he not realize how weird it was to fall in love with your sister? I mean, sure, no blood shared but still. It reeks of incest and makes Barry look like a stalker.

Which he was – he found her diary more then once – if we consider his photo collection. Thank god they were all innocent family and friend gatherings only.

Got to remember to get rid of the unnecessary ones.

Thank god that's not going to be an issue. Always felt like she was a Mary Sue.

Speaking of which…

Is Oliver dating Felicity yet? She dated him after Palmer, which was post Season 3. She even lived with him for some time when Season 4 started…

I get that this isn't the Arrow-verse but yeah, not letting Oliver stick his dick in crazy.

If crazy is defined as a hypocritical, commanding, inconsistent, ungrateful, and basically, undeserving person.

Suck on that Oliver-Felicity shippers!

Seriously, Oliver should have smacked her down hard every time she questioned his command or went against his orders or behind his back. He was in charge, damn it.

Unnecessary drama indeed.

Granted, Diggle and others didn't say anything either, but I think they were following his lead.

Still, anyone is better than Felicity. Hell, even Nyssa was a better option. Or even Mr. Terrific – he was literally one of the smartest men on the planet in the cartoon.

I think he works for Queen Consolidated somewhere in tech. Damn my spotty memory.

Granted, I was hoping Oliver would end up with Laurel. Nothing against Sarah – just sticking to continuity. Not going to be playing Cupid though: the heart wants what the heart wants.

Plus, she belongs with the Legends.

Just as long as it's not Felicity.

Wonder if I can snag her X-axis bi-numeric algorithm before Waller does?

Waller…

If she's skinny in this reality, I have no chance.

If she's large and in charge like the cartoons… maybe. Was she manipulative and borderline lawful evil? Yes. But at least the cartoon one had damn good reasons and was redeemable. Say what you will about the government, but at times, a deterrent is needed.

If she's skinny? All bets are off. Either Oliver gets her or I do when I become the Flash.

Now there's a thought. What to do with Thawne?

Never understood why Eddie had to kill himself to end Eobard. Was vasectomy really not an option? I get it was a TV show, but still, practicality and pragmatism is a better option.

Jesus, I am depressing. How the hell am I going to pass off as the chipper Barry?

Oh wait, got all his memories, can fake it for now and transition with time. Panic over. Plus, I am just considering all the potential ramifications of me replacing the overly trusting Barry.

Again, damn depressing.

Still… S.T.A.R Labs… Fuck, Gideon! That future seeing A.I will show that Harrison Well's impersonator that I don't – wait a minute.

In the show, Gideon revealed that she was built by Barry. She even prioritized his commands over Eobard's. I wonder… is time affected by though and choices here or are there fixed points?

Damn it… I doubt Eobard will care who I end up with since he needs the Flash, not Barry Allen-West.

Still…

Okay, I'll just remember and convince myself to program Gideon in the future to **not** tell Eobard if the future has changed. Either it works, or it doesn't.

Does his memory change though? Savitar's did when Barry tried to erase his own ow shit…

Speed Force time machinations don't follow the usual laws of causality and effect. Eobard is exhibit A, B, and Z.

Wait… not speedster yet. Magic? Act of God? Either way, I am a ripple in the bond, but a ripple that won't affect the memory of other time travelers.

Could that work?

It would freak out Well's.

Wonder if Rip Hunter will make an earlier appearance?

Will Savitar appear who has the other Barry's memories and become confused with what is happening? Could always pass it off as an alternative reality.

Well's is probably watching me anyway, so he knows I am going to Starling City, meaning I will meet the Arrow.

I still become the Flash after I come back.

Is that weird of me? I am somehow Barry Allen, meaning either the old me died and reincarnated, or someone is screwing with me for shits and/or giggles.

DC Universe does have some OP beings in it… is it wrong that I want to meet Dream?

Did I meet Morpheus already? Oh my god, I AM NEO! This is the Matrix!

Neil Gaiman be damned, I want to see the Endless!

Okay, back paddle here.

It's season two of Arrow so Brother Blood and Slade.

Yeah, not touching that with a ten-foot pole.

I don't have Speed Force given abs yet. No way am I tough enough to mess with the Terminator of all people.

Although...

I wonder how much damage I can do to continuity in a few days.

* * *

 _Arrow Season 2 Episode 8 and 9 later…_

I was running out of time – the irony not lost on me.

It was raining cats and dogs, Linda Park was on the news talking about the accelerator being turned on.

Wait, Linda Park. In the comics, she marries Wally West, the 'fastest' Flash. Does that still apply in this universe? Probably not for much longer. I mean, I am going to be the progenitor of the Flash legacy.

I checked, no Jay Garrick in this timeline. That's sad.

Anyway…

And I have planted so many seeds in Team Arrow that I amaze myself with how easy it was.

Let's recap.

For convenience sake.

No bragging, just facts.

Quick detour…

Cyrus Gold was still given Mirakuru and still died from chemical exposure. Whether or not he becomes Solomon Grundy is up to the universe.

Now for the important stuff.

I stuck to my charming personality and kept to the script as close as I could follow – with some exceptions – since while I now have Barry's 'super brain,' no way can I recall line for line what happened.

I am just not that kind of guy – seeing the good in people unconditionally. Oh, I can be a beacon of light to Oliver's darkness, but some people are just unredeemable and/or not worth keeping around.

Doesn't mean I am going to kill anyone though, that not practical or good for PR. Plus, as much as I hate to admit it, Batman has a point: killing is the easy way out and makes us no better then the criminals heroes go to capture. Is the justice system flawed on some level? Yes. But it's the best thing we have to legally put away criminals.

Doesn't mean we can't get close to the line.

Breaking an arm is an excellent negative reinforcer. It heals with time if set correctly and if not completely shattered, and criminals at least get the warning that you can do worse. Others follow after hearing about your actions.

Hanging someone off the roof or threatening them with super strength is also a plus.

Crippling someone seems like a last resort.

By that logic, Oliver and Batman have the right idea, but such tactics don't work on the super-powered and insane.

I wonder how many people experience a crisis of faith or a philosophical debate whenever the death penalty came up regarding supervillains that weren't clinically insane.

It's the only reason I figure as to how Joker remained alive in the source material.

This requires more consideration. I don't want to kill just because someone is going to be a more significant threat in the future – this is a different universe.

I've already made some changes in any case.

Big change is that I didn't romance Felicity. Don't care who she went to the gala with, or if she went at all.

Took advantage of the extra time to look into Sebastian Blood.

Father Trigon was real but human – wonder if Raven still exists in this world.

Coincidence be damned, I am in a comic book universe.

Can't remember her human name – damn.

Google search showed that Constantine is around, so magic is real. Can I do magic? Again, questions for later.

Speed Force is a tricky thing, and magic is technically a manipulation of energy, albeit in shall we say, a supernatural way.

I don't know if the series made the characters dumber or something, but finding out about Sebastian's mother – or his 'aunt' – was suspiciously easy.

Back to the case.

Sebastian Blood got off surprisingly easy.

For anyone schooled in forensics and completely unbiased, it was ridiculously obvious. I mean, I get he was from the Glades, but seriously? It was a father, mother, and son in one room, and the father was killed from a low angle. Was it so hard to believe the son did it considering the rap sheet daddy dearest had? That and abused wives are **rarely** the ones to pull the trigger, as it were.

I say rarely because some do break the mold.

Kept the info on the side for now.

Used Barry's hidden hacking skills – and wasn't that a surprise - and with the help of Felicity's set up – which she gave the password too while she tried flirting with me – I managed to quickly backtrack Cyrus's travel history and find the Church of Blood.

Added that to the folder.

Remembered to call Barry's boss to use some of my sick days to explain why I wasn't working. Singh gave me some grief, but Barry saved up quite of a few of those, so he gave him slack since I did, in fact, call in.

Where was I?

Sneaking in? Much harder. Had to do it in daytime – no one expects to get robbed during the day. Apparently, neither did Brother Blood. I mean, who expects to find a hoard of bodies hidden underneath the Zandia Orphanage due to failed experiments?

I'm just surprised there weren't any cameras there either. Granted, I used the back door, but with Slade being so paranoid in the show, I figured he would have done something along those lines.

There was a guard or two, but my teenage years of playing RPG and assassination games paid off.

A stun gun helped. Didn't use it, but it felt comforting carrying it. Odd how Barry had a stun gun but no gun permit. Something to consider in the future. Would Batman have a hissy fit if he realized on his superhero associates was carrying? Granted, I was 'technically' a cop, so I doubt he would _dis_ agree.

The goons they used were thick as bricks. Didn't even need to exploit the 'no one looks up' glitch.

Trust me, it always works. Ninjas were just the first to exploit it.

Found their indoctrination room easily enough. Boy was there a lot of blood on the floor. Just how low was the survival rate for the drug? What is this, Orochimaru's laboratory?

Reference works, 'Naruto' exist in this universe.

Where was I? Oh, right.

I stole a rack of Mirakuru.

A whole fucking rack.

There were 12 bottles.

I hyperventilated all the way back to my motel room, carrying them all, making sure they didn't crack or break.

Bought a special foam case to carry them back afterward. Drank a few shots of scotch in a bar down the street while I had the chance. Super metabolism wasn't going to let me get drunk after the storm.

Still got called in to save Oliver. Didn't act like some start struck idiot, managed to impress Diggle and Oliver. Set off something fierce in Felicity. Guess she didn't like it when she wasn't the center of attention.

Convinced him to catch me up to speed with what was happening. Made some recommendations about layer defenses and trick arrows if Oliver didn't want to kill people anymore. Made the domino mask too – gave to him before I left.

He actually considered the foam and knockout arrows I suggested. Boxing glove – not so much.

Diggle did throw in the notion of a sonic arrow to compensate.

I 'conveniently' showed him the evidence I gathered regarding Blood. During his shock, I explained how I found odd crimes interesting – gave him Barry's backstory about his mom's murder and Dad's conviction – so we had a bro moment.

We even hugged it out.

Oliver is a really nice guy when you get through his thick exterior.

Had to explain how the appearance of the Hoods was odd, followed by some back timestamped bullshit, curiosity in the sudden rise of Sebastian, and bibbity bobbity boop, I give him my theory about who really killed his dad.

The Father Trigon rumors helped.

The look Oliver gave Felicity was beautiful. So much subtext, so little time to explain.

But I will.

To sum up, if I, a simple forensic scientist managed to deduce this with information by hacking public and police force records, why couldn't Felicity have done it sooner?

Finishing move? I asked why only Felicity could hack and use computers, causing Diggle to jokingly say that Oliver used to be good with computers in the beginning.

Seeds planted.

Add in Oliver hallucinating from my treatment and his attack on Brother Blood – he didn't voice his suspicions about his identity, thank god – and Oliver's psyche was ripe for planting.

Pump-action shotgun moment.

I asked him if he always let Felicity lead the missions or if it was a onetime thing since he needed the layout of the base.

Felicity wasn't in the room when I asked, but Diggle was. I left afterward, but I think the duo had a chat about it.

Met Roy and Thea by chance since I was invited to the mansion this time around. Saw a picture of Oliver's parents. Made a joke about Thea's dark hair and everyone's light hair.

Made sure their mom wasn't around.

Oliver smiled, but I saw the thought go through his head. His mom was already in cahoots with Malcolm during the Undertaking, and his parents' marriage was never stable and steady.

It would hurt Thea, but Oliver will always love her, and she had Roy.

Her mom – that was up to the wolves. Or Slade in this case. I don't think Oliver will have much trouble killing her off for Thea when Slade will give him the choice.

The realization that Malcolm was her father wasn't going to ruin Thea this time.

And the pièce de résistance

I was there when Oliver was talking about Mirakuru – I already had it my motel room at this point in time – but I kept my silence. I waited till he stopped hallucinating and right before I left to ask him who else knew about the drug. I didn't ask him what happened on the island – I didn't force him, plus he just got to trusting me – but I did point out that once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.

Ergo, I asked him who could have possibly survived to know about Mirakuru from his past.

It wasn't a long list.

I left him my phone number and email so that he could call me and just talk about his problems. Based on how much I already 'helped' him out with my fresh outlook, I think he will.

One train ride to Central City later and the pilot episode case began.

Gave Iris the same spiel Barry did regarding what the accelerator can do for the understanding of physics, where the fecal matter was found to Joe (Mardon brothers), and went to the S.T.A.R Labs presentation with Iris to help for her article.

Chatted with Iris, listened to Well's speech, spotted DeVoe…

Now there's a thought.

Nah, left him alone. He doesn't become an issue until four seasons later, and he only gets dangerous after he starts body-hopping.

Moving on.

Went to the precinct after I tried playing hero, saw Eddie Thawne, might have jokingly told Iris to ask him out, got a weird look from her afterward.

Guess she noticed me pushing her away.

I hope this doesn't turn into a case of her wanting me more just because I don't want her anymore.

And scene.

I didn't get a call from Felicity like in the show. She's probably getting the stink eye from Oliver and Diggle right about now. I entered my lab, noticing the wet floor and storm outside.

The news was playing, showing how the accelerator was about to be turned on.

Wait, I said that already, so I am back on track.

And in my hand, I had a vial of Mirakuru.

I managed to hide the rest of the vials in Barry's secret porn stash – the one Joe knew about was a decoy – and brought one with me here.

Noted that Barry's sexual tastes were rather… diverse.

It's always the quiet ones.

Anyway…

Comics always make it out that people becoming heroes was their destiny, so why couldn't I add Mirakuru to the Speed Force mix?

Not like Speed Force didn't already throw the rules of physics out the proverbial window. Plus, I was here for a reason.

And the power went out.

"Showtime."

With great gusto, I prepped the needle and inserted it but didn't push the solution in just yet. As soon as I saw the explosion, I injected myself and grabbed the chains to the ceiling windows, making sure to tie them around my arms.

Turns out, the show was underselling as to how painful it was.

My inside felt like they were on fire, blood boiling, head in a vice, tears of blood.

It was so bad that I didn't notice the chemical mixtures starting to levitate; all my focus was on me holding the chains.

And then the lightning struck, propelling me into the chemicals when it connected to me.

* * *

There are no words to describe the feeling.

It wasn't euphoria nor was it nirvana or something along the lines of enlightenment.

There was just… serenity, backed up by the feeling of being one with the moment, of watching and swimming through time.

This must be how animals feel every day: no past or future, just the now.

I didn't pass out either.

Shoes were ruined – what with the hole and all – and my shirt was ripped.

My right arm had a ridiculous scar going across it all the way to my shoulder. Guess rapping metal around the arm was a bad idea. Whether or not it would heal is up to debate.

Doubt it – a price needs to be paid for toying with fate to such degree.

I had the pleasure of seeing the world slow around me while I maintained relative motion.

I waved my hand in front of my face, noticing my veins glow a weird orange-yellow color.

Groovy.

I looked around, walking forward, leaving a weird blur behind me.

Everything… just stopped.

Not even moving ridiculously slowly, just stopped.

Was I willing myself to go that much faster than Barry initially could?

Was it the Mirakuru?

Looked around – no hallucinations. Touched my eyes – no blood.

Did I burn it out? Was my body so hot that it evaporated?

Unlikely, but this is dark matter and exotic particles I was messing with here. Who knows how it reacted with the drug.

Pause – are Gang Babies going to be a thing in this reality too? I always did like Static.

Wait, I am not passed out.

I ran to the window, which was WEIRD. Time didn't move any faster, and I seemed to just… appear.

No weird hand running motion or anything.

This was going to be tricky to get used to. Feels like I just… willed me there. Reminded me how Savitar traveled through that weird tunnel when moving.

Checked the shoes. Yep, burned. Should I run barefoot? Nah, maybe I should figure out the Speed Force trick to prevent friction from gathering on me.

At least that's how they explained it in the comics. How else was Flash supposed to run around the city at Mach speeds without blowing anything and anyone away or shattering glass from sonic booms?

The Speed Force helped, duh.

Help…

I noticed that the accelerator explosion was actually moving ridiculously slowly. Guess I didn't stop time.

I can't change **everything** but still…

I found my phone on my desk – no way was I letting it get struck by lightning.

I wonder…

I raised my hand, focusing on the feeling I was experiencing, trying to tap into Flash Time. Eventually, with some trial and error, I managed to make lightning arc between my fingers. Very gingerly, I cusped my phone. With some hesitance, I charged it.

And as luck would have it, it started working in my time.

Smiling – and silently thanking the Speed Force deities – I connected my earphones and went to music.

Cause YouTube didn't work – not even 3G was that fast.

I flipped through Barry's music and found the appropriate song for my first outing as the Flash.

"Take me away, Jim Croce."

* * *

" _If I could save time in a bottle_

 _The first thing that I'd like to do_

 _Is to save every day_

 _'Til eternity passes away_

 _Just to spend them with you…"_

It took me longer then I would have liked – even at super speed – to locate the right warehouse, but I found it.

Right on time thankfully.

Hahaha – time joke from a speedster.

Sean Sonus and his associate were distracted by the explosion, while Dinah Drake and Vincent Sobel were in their midsts.

I walked smiling to Sobel, untying his arms. I noticed the gun muzzle had just gone off. I picked the bullet out of the way and threw it at the man who was going to remove their fingers.

Wonder if the bullet motion will continue? Probably. I don't think I can just remove the energy and motion put into the bullet – for now.

I checked Vincent – bullet didn't even penetrate his skin. Burns were still likely due to the muzzle of the gun being so close, but not threatening.

I looked at Dinah. She already started screaming. It must seem like that Vincent got shot in real time.

Still, she should become _a_ Black Canary. Vincent though… his future as Vigilante is unlikely now. Super healing may not be in his future anymore, but something adrenaline related may be possible.

They have each other, so I doubt they will take the self-destructive route.

With what I have done to Team Arrow, I doubt she will even consider becoming Black Canary.

Still, happy endings for all.

* * *

" _If I could make days last forever_

 _If words could make wishes come true_

 _I'd save every day like a treasure and then,_

 _Again, I would spend them with you…"_

Ran to the farm this time.

Saw the plane explosion. I know both brothers survive but still, odd they both got weather powers.

Bigger issues.

Found Joe and his partner Detective Chyre. I kneeled. The show was right – shot in the neck and bleeding badly, even with Joe's help to cover and tie up the wound.

I may not be able to save everyone due to the explosion, but at least in this reality, there will be one less death today.

I flexed a finger and vibrated it – harder than it looks, trust me – and touched it carefully to the hole. As expected, it burned the skin and sealed it.

Hard to tell under all the blood. Made sure bullet wasn't in there, but it was a clear shot – passed straight through.

I could have stopped there, but I decided to carry both to the nearest hospital to the waiting room.

I made sure they were covered by my field but not part of my relative time stream.

Don't think I could do that trick to living things yet.

Huh, I just realized it's the same hospital Barry would be brought to.

* * *

" _But there never seems to be enough time_

 _To do the things you want to do_

 _Once you find them_

 _I've looked around enough to know_

 _That you're the one I want to go_

 _Through time with…"_

Who holds a football game in December? Also, how the hell is it raining in December? Where was Central City anyway?

Doesn't matter – found Jax.

I may not be a sports fan, but even I understand how much a good scholarship can help a person. Chances are, he will still get the ability to become Firestorm, but at least this time he will be in college.

I allowed the wave to hit him, but I carried him away to somewhere much safer and softer – no torn ACL for him.

I checked for injuries to make sure.

Everyone deserved a chance at happiness.

* * *

" _If I had a box just for wishes_

 _And dreams that had never come true_

 _The box would be empty_

 _Except for the memory_

 _Of how they were answered by you…"_

The panic outside the S.T.A.R Labs made an interesting sight when viewed in slow motion. Like something Picasso would draw except not abstract.

Quick memory check - yes, Picasso exists here.

I walked to the alleyway where Stein was located when he fused with Ronnie. The Firestorm Matrix was already active since it was Ronnie on the ground in Stein's clothes and an open case next to them.

I was in a quandary here.

I could take Ronnie closer to Caitlin so she could find him, but it would be Stein in control, not her fiancé.

I decided to choose the lesser of two evils and take him to the nearest hospital – a different one to Joe's – but made sure to remove the wallet.

It would be confusing when Caitlin gets called in when they ID him, but she is a scientist – she will be able to handle it when Stein is in charge.

 _Hopefully_.

Just realized something: is Superman going to stop by and help the city?

Doubt it, what with politics and all that jazz being involved.

Best not to be dragged down by the details.

I ran back and found Hartley as well. Nothing I could do with him: he only gets better personality-wise after he attacks Harrison, or Thawne in this case.

Although…

Yeah… it could work. If the cards are played right…

Decision made, I carried him back to his home – I checked his ID for the location – and put him to bed. I quickly unplugged anything electronic that could make a sound and soundproofed the apartment the best I could.

His super-hearing was going to be a bitch, but at least he won't wake up with a pounding headache.

Just in case, I ran to a Best Buy and stole the best looking pair of sound canceling headphones and put them on his head.

I may be interfering too much in his case – and he will realize someone helped him – but he needs it more than the others.

* * *

" _But there never seems to be enough time_

 _To do the things you want to do_

 _Once you find them_

 _I've looked around enough to know_

 _That you're the one I want to go_

 _Through time with…"_

Last but not least the main characters.

Cisco and Caitlin were currently in the middle of the air, either due to an explosion or jumping for cover, I don't know.

Caitlin was crying which was expected – she still though Ronnie was locked up below and probably dead.

Cisco was holding her, trying to shield them. Good man – friend to the end.

I noticed the wave was nowhere near them.

Guess they got the exposure over time since they continue working at S.T.A.R Labs.

I grabbed them both and started carrying them away.

I just realized that I was comfortably carrying to fully grown humans like it was nothing.

Adrenaline and Speed Force be damned – the Mirakuru worked!

Hell yeah!

Wonder what else it did to me. Well, besides the apparent super speed boost and somewhat instinctual application of my powers.

Worryingly, I check my reflection in one of the buildings none shattered panels.

No accelerated aging, thank god.

Still… must be some price.

I'll carry out the tests later. I'll have more than enough time since Barry won't be in a coma this time around.

I walked outside and gently placed them outside the building. For insurance sake, I left the business card I picked up from the hospital lobby I dropped Stein at in Caitlyn's pocket.

I was being cautious, not stupid.

Curiously, I noticed some white in Caitlyn's hair.

Huh, odd.

She's already Killer Frost?

I thought it took Barry going all Flashpoint to make that happen.

Doubt it will happen this time around.

Cisco had powers earlier though, and he only had marginally more exposure than her.

Guess it was all mental on her end.

Or copyright issues prevented the show writers from using her meta-persona.

Yeah, that seems more likely.

One last stop to make before I have enough time to make it back to the lab.

* * *

I crept behind the corners of the central lab.

If memory served, Thawne was around here somewhere.

And why was I sneaking around?

Because he is still a speedster, so there was a chance he could still spot me, even with his reduced power and my accelerated state.

Found him – he was looking down at a computer panel.

Couldn't see his face nor was I going to risk it. Doubt I can check his hidden room either. I think he had had vibration-proofed just in case.

Not like I could do that trick at the moment, but this was Eobard we were talking about.

Still, I made sure he was still inside, and that was as good as it was going to get.

Sighing in defeat, I ran back to the lab.

* * *

Damn it, music ran out.

Whatever.

Found Ralph Dibny.

The show timeline always seemed a little off to me. It stated that Ralph Dibny was dishonorably discharged for planting false evidence for the case of Judy Gimlin, which was Barry's first case as a junior CSI.

It was in 2013.

Which is this year, just in December.

Which is ridiculous.

I get the show made it seem like Barry was the only forensic guy the precinct used, but no one gets that kind of a promotion in the first year.

Which is why I was so grateful that Ralph was still a cop.

Checked Barry's memories – seemed like they never did the Judy Gimlin case, some other detectives did.

Doesn't mean they were buddies. They nodded if they saw each other, but that was it.

Still, he is a detective, so good on him.

Found him running away from the way after exiting a bar.

(Don't get any ideas – he was off-duty.)

Screw it, he will be made of rubber, he'll live.

I tossed him right into the wave.

Quick mental calculation… He'll land safely in any case against the park grass.

* * *

One of the Flash's – I don't remember which one – greatest feats was removing every single person from a city to a few miles away before a bomb dropped and exploded, destroying said city.

He did it all in less than a second.

He had years of experience with his powers, but it was still by far the most impressive feat of speed ever depicted in comics, other than his Infinite Mass Punch.

I doubt the speed I was going was anywhere close, but it was at least in the same echelons.

I checked the clock in my lab when I finally walked back. I noticed that I was actually sweating but wasn't breathing heavily. Seems like the strain was finally catching up.

The show never depicted just how much time passes when Barry runs from his perspective or when he runs.

Makes it seem like it doesn't matter, but it does.

Just imagine it.

Jogging across a city, everything moving slower than you, to the point where it's frozen. The sound are echoing due to how slow it is, or there isn't any at all.

It was like some messed up "Twilight Zone" episode. It's you in a silent world, just running for who knows how long before your body finally starts to ache.

How Barry didn't go crazy with just his thoughts is a dedication to his focus and will.

Oliver could probably handle it – he's used to the solitude – but others? Maybe Diggle and Caitlin. But Cisco, Roy, Thea? It would be too much.

The clock showed that I was only gone for about two and a half seconds.

I was actually gone for hours, maybe even days. You learn to tune it out or else drive yourself crazy with how slow everything is.

No wonder the Flash was depicted as a kid on a sugar rush in the cartoons – he gets bored waiting for everyone else to catch up during their conversations.

Walking and running around the city takes time.

The lightning the show showed was just a byproduct of speedsters moving. I am slightly terrified of thinking about how speedsters fight at super speed. Is it like a regular fight only in their time frame or is about seeing who can get faster than the other?

The thought sends shivers through me.

A silent prayer to hoping Eobard doesn't accelerate any of his plans from the fallout of my changes.

I spotted some cops downstairs looking up to Barry's lab. They probably heard the lightning strike and my crash into the shelves.

Means that when I get back to normal speed, they will find me crashed into his chemicals.

The injury on my arm, which didn't heal, would lead them to the conclusion that I got struck by lightning.

I laid back down where I was expected – after I put my earphones and phone away – and willed myself back to normal time.

"3, 2, 1… Showtime."

* * *

Detective Tom Patterson was currently in shock watching the ring of energy traverse through Central City, with the S.T.A.R Labs serving as the epicenter of the explosion.

As the wave passed over the station, shaking the ground and knocking out all the lights, the crashing of thunder was heard, followed immediately by the sudden breaking of beakers and liquids hitting the floor.

"Vukuvich, what the hell was that?"

"I don't know sir, something went wrong with the particle accelerator…"

"Not that. Where did all the glass shattering happen?"

"It was Barry!" shouted Detective Addie. "He just went to his lab a minute ago."

"Someone get up there and check on the kid!"

A trio of officers followed closely by Captain David Singh ran upstairs and into Barry's lab.

"Jesus," spoke David in shock.

The lab was a mess, water and chemicals spilled everywhere, the skylight cracked, the smell of ionized ozone in the air.

One of the officers spotted Barry lying in a pile of what used to be his chemical shelf, smoking.

"Captain, was he…"

"I am no expert, but it looks like…"

"Sir, he is still alive! His pulse is steady, and his breathing isn't labored."

"What about his arm?"

"It seems like it's his only injury, other than his clothes and shoes."

David nodded, his worry slightly abetted, "Someone call 911 or drive him to the nearest hospital! And I don't care how hard it is, someone call up Detective West!"

* * *

At least I wasn't dragged in a gurney by a panicked group of paramedics like in the show.

Granted, there was still chaos all around me, what with the lights being out and the injured pouring in.

I should be worried, but the show did reveal that seventeen people died before that was altered due to Flashpoint.

Would it be fifteen now, since I saved Joe's partner and Ralph were still alive?

Oh, wait no, fourteen – Vincent won't be labeled as dead this time.

Still, I was in the ER, looking around, observing the doctor next to me take my stats and bandage up my arm.

The lightning shaped scar still hasn't healed. Guess it was made before the powers kicked in: it will most likely never heal properly.

It doesn't hurt, but it's a huge identifying mark.

Should I steal the skintight leotard that becomes the Flash suit? Cisco does modify it later, but with the ensuing chaos, would be a good time to steal it.

Would have to change the face though. No way am I leaving my mouth exposed or my eyes to be seen.

I honestly never understood that part of the comics. I get chins and lips aren't that distinct, but it still exposes half the face, more than enough for facial recognition systems to narrow down the searches somewhat.

Eyes just add more details to work with.

Zoom – as much as I hate saying it – had the right idea when he covered his face completely. Eyes alone is not enough to work with, especially when he altered his voice.

Should I do something like the Godspeed costume but red and yellow? Could work, but it wouldn't be as aesthetically pleasing as the Flash costume with the emblem on the chest.

I would have thought about it more before Joe and Iris ran up.

"Barry," shouted both at the same time.

"Guys, I am fine…"

"You were struck by lightning Barry," commanded Joe, with overtones of worry. "How are you even…?"

"Alright? Hard to say. I am putting money on the rubber soles in my shoes."

Joe actually laughed at that quip but frowned immediately afterward.

"Jokes aside Mr. Allen, it really is remarkable as to how…uninjured you are," spoke the doctor as he finished up with my arm. "Other then the damage to your clothes and arm, you are in relatively perfect condition. No arrhythmia, no mental issues, no brain injuries, no concussion, no spams, nothing to indicate you have **actually** been struck by lightning. You are a fortunate man."

"So… he can leave?" inquired Iris.

"Well, we would normally ask him to stay for observation but with what's happening in the city…"

"Say no more," I interrupted. "You need the empty bed for those who need it. Can you unhook me from these things so we can go and sign me out?"

The doctor flipped through his paperwork for a moment, "I wouldn't be a good doctor if I at least didn't suggest to set up a follow-up appointment and not to do anything strenuous for the next few days, but otherwise… You may leave, Mr. Allen."

"We **will** make a follow-up doctor," spoke Joe while looking at me.

"No need to make a command Joe," I said jokingly. "We will set it up now."

The three of us started walking out to the nurse's desk to set everything up. Spotting an opportunity, I 'interrogated' Joe.

"umm, Joe, this is a little weird to ask but… is that your blood?"

Joe, realizing this, looked down at his shirt and jacket. "Ooh damn! No, it's from Chyre."

"Is he alright? Did the Mardon brothers do it?"

I spotted the hesitation in Joe's eyes.

"No, he is alright. I… managed to get him to the hospital in time. He is in critical condition, but doctor's say he will make it."

"And the brothers?" asked Iris.

"Dead," shrugged Joe while trying to wipe off some of the blood. "They were trying to escape in a plane when the wave hit them, causing the plane to explode and crash."

I nodded, "Someone should send a team out there to find the remains – to make sure."

"I'll tell it to the Captain," agreed Joe. "But I doubt it will be any time soon what with the explosion."

I shook my head, "I don't think the government and the military will let any cop get within ten yards of the Labs after this."

Both West's looked at me in confusion.

I leaned to them as we walked out of the hospital, "The accelerator just released a wave of unstable energy that for all intended purposes, was basically a unique form of radiation. I've read enough scientific papers and comics to know what exotic radiation does to organic tissue."

"What are suggesting Barry?"

"What I am suggesting Joe, is that we live in a world with vigilantes and the likes of Superman. What are the odds that this… accident… is going to create a horde of… of… super powered individuals?"

I spotted the look of disbelieving in Iris, "Barry, come on, that's ridicule…"

"Define superpowered."

I put my hand on my forehead, faking concern while Iris looked at her father in shock for even asking such a question. "If I were a gambling man – which I am not – it would probably depend on what an individual was doing at the time when the energy hit them. I mean, it could range as just giving them super-strength or super-healing all the way too, I don't know, fusing them with whatever they made contact with like metal or tar."

"Tar?"

"Construction workers."

Joe looked around, pulling Iris and me to a corner where we wouldn't be noticed.

"What about something like stopping time or teleportation?"

"Dad…"

"Not now Iris. Barry?"

Ahh, he was actually concerned. "Teleportation is possible. It would have to depend on the **form** of matter displacement. Time manipulation is extremely unlikely – what with physics arguing against it - unless it was in a confined area: no one can just stop all of time. Why do you ask?"

Joe looked around before whispering. "I didn't take Chyre to the hospital."

"What do you mean?"

"One moment I was on the ground trying to stop him from bleeding out. Next second I see a flash of some sort and the both us just… appeared in the hospital."

So he did see something – interesting.

"That sounds like teleportation… how did you feel afterward?"

"Like something pulled me in one direction, with a feeling of pressure on one side of my body for a moment before dissipating."

"Sounds more like you were dragged then displaced. I think you were saved by a speedster."

"A speedster?"

Good. Now to plant a seed of trust.

"Someone with super-speed. What you describe sounds more like someone grabbed you two, and carried you to the hospital, which is why you felt pressure on one side of your body. The speedster **literally** carried you in a straight line to the nearest hospital."

Iris and Joe stared at me with awe. "And a speedster is possible?"

"Within reason. Depends where his fuel is from."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that unless he runs one some extradimensional energy, someone in the city is about to get a big case of the munchies."

I spotted Iris's journalistic instincts kick in while Joe shrugged his head in consideration.

"Speaking of which, can we get home? I am starving."

* * *

I was somewhat right about the military and government getting involved.

Next morning news showed that S.T.A.R. Labs were being quarantined, with biohazard and hazmat crews scanning and inspecting the site for any radiation.

Not like they would actually pick anything up. Doubt there was a Geiger counter for dark matter.

Joe went to work while Iris stayed home – college was closed – trying to take care of me.

I really hope she wasn't trying to figure out why I wasn't interested in her anymore.

I was also scanning across all news sources on my laptop to track down all the images from the site while the TV was on.

After a fruitless search, I found that Well's was in fact 'crippled' and apologized profusely for the unforeseen accident.

Superman was not in fact called in to help with the damages.

Fourteen people have been reported dead.

S.T.A.R Labs was labeled as a class four hazardous location.

I may or may not have spotted some agents dressed in black uniforms. I didn't get a clear shot of the logo, but it could be ARGUS.

Oddly enough, during Wells speech, Cisco and Caitlin weren't at his side.

Maybe they already found Raymond and met Stein? Possible.

I managed to convince Iris that I was fine as I left 'for a walk.'

Since I was 'injured,' I was given time off from work to recover, so I managed to run to S.T.A.R Lab without anyone noticing.

Brought an extra two pairs of shoes with me just in case.

Luckily, all cameras were currently offline, so despite my slower speeds and somewhat visible lightning, I managed to sneak in without any issues.

Couldn't figure out why I couldn't achieve the same speeds as I did the first time, but I chalked that up to being supercharged by the lightning. I tested myself this morning and I had super strength, so the Mirakuru clearly worked.

Took me some time to knock on all the bulbed walls – the show never did specify where the hidden room was exactly – before I located it.

Pressing the right panel, the door opened up, revealing Eobard's Time Vault.

Entering the room, a hologram of Gideon's face appeared. "Greetings, Creator Allen. How may I be of assistance?"

I couldn't help but smile. "Well, that depends: did I ever put in any odd protocol into you after you were made?"

"Scanning… New protocols activated starting from last night. Odd, they seem to indicate that you were aware that the explosion was going to occur and that I would be in this timeline when you created me. Inquiry?"

"Let's just say that time manipulation and the Speed Force was involved. I sort of became a time anomaly."

"Probability of time wraiths arriving…"

"Unlikely. I didn't come from the future, nor am I a time revenant. No one was lost nor was anyone added."

"Inquiry satisfied. Criteria for time wraiths not met. Is my current user aware of your change?"

"Eobard? No. What did I code into you if I may ask?"

"Creator Barry Allen coded the following protocols to be activated after certain parameters – i.e. particle accelerator explosion – occurred. First, I was to ensure that Harrison Wells – aka. Eobard Thawne, aka. Reverse Flash – will not discover the timeline has changed, by presenting him a false newspaper article, as well as ensuring he doesn't look further into it with his questioning."

"Good. What else?"

"I am also not to divulge any future information to anyone, ranging from future technology, discovery, or event. I can, however, provide information taken from the future when providing current information, as long as it doesn't affect said future."

"Okay, makes sense. So, if I, for example, asked you for the secret identity of an individual…?"

"I would be able to provide their future power and ability capabilities as well as all current and past information, but not anything they will do in the future, nor how they would die."

"And future events?"

"Completely sealed off by your command. Creator Allen believed that any event that should happen has to happen as it did to him and others."

"Identities of criminals and events happening in real time?"

"Within parameters as long as more than half the research and information gathering has been done and extrapolation could have been accomplished without my assistance. No future events will be revealed."

"Huh. So not so much of a cheat but more like an aide. Anything else?"

"I am also coded to prevent telling you who will marry who in the superpowered and superhero community."

"Why?" I deadpanned.

"Creator Allen was quoted saying, 'It will ruin the surprise.'"

"Fine. Anything else?"

"I am also programmed to assist in any way possible, covertly or otherwise."

I couldn't help but clap, "Perfect. Okay, here's what I want you to do…"

* * *

"Are you sure about this Joe? It seems…" asked Singh.

"Crazy, far-fetched, delusional, criteria to be thrown in the loony bin?"

"No offense."

"None taken, Captain. But I know what I felt, and there was no way I could have possibly carried Chyre to the hospital that fast after the explosion happened."

Singh wiped his chin as he sat down at his desk, " I don't doubt your story, but still…"

"We have the likes of Superman in Metropolis and whispers of other vigilantes with weird powers. Is it so hard to believe that whatever was released into the air **might** create such individuals?"

Singh pondered this, but Joe raised his hand to interrupt him. "I am not asking for a task force or some kind of special branch to form to investigate these… metahumans as it were. I am simply asking for this precinct and others to… keep their minds open as it were."

"Such as?"

"I don't know. Any weird sightings or odd crime scenes come to mind. Multiple people reporting same odd occurrence without story collaboration. Unexplained phenomenon…"

"I get what you're suggesting Joe, but that's not something we cover. What you are describing sounds more like a tall tale some of the drunkards that call our tipline say."

Joe nodded, agreeing with the Captain's assessment. "We file most of out reports digitally now, right?"

Singh shrugged, "Within reason. The old hard copy reports still have to be looked up. What are you suggesting?"

"Barry is currently stuck at home, and he suggested this theory to me. It wouldn't be too crazy if say forensic scientist created an algorithm and what not to search for certain keywords and events if they were digital, now would it?"

Singh considered this. Data mining in case files is not illegal per say, but it's not something you can just use without consent, especially in criminal cases.

"Suggest the idea to him, see how he feels about it. As long as it does not break any guidelines or laws, I'll allow it."

"As long as you pass the message around the precinct for everyone to write **everything** down and not dismiss something just because it's weird and bizarre."

* * *

An odd screeching echo was all that Hartley heard as he woke up. Rising in his bed, the first thing he noted was the darkness of his bedroom, which he didn't remember returning too.

The last thing he remembered doing was trying to stop Well's from turning on the accelerator.

As he wide his brow, he finally noted the headphones on his ears.

He was just about to take them off when his genius mind realized that despite them completely covering his ears, he still heard noises as clearly as possible… even better then he recalled.

Noting that all the stuff in his room was unplugged and his windows were ruggedly soundproofed, Hartley reached a terrifying hypothesis.

Gathering himself, Hartley cupped one ear and slowly lifted, before rapidly closing in pain as the sounds of the world accosted him.

Didn't take a genius to realize that he had somehow acquired super-hearing.

After recovering, Hartley turned on his laptop, wincing at the now audible sounds of electricity traveling through the cord and the mechanism within the machine working.

After a quick search of the news – and barely controlling himself every time he hit the keyboard from flinching – Hartley realized that the dark matter released into the air must have affected him and 'gifted' him with his hearing.

Running the math in his head made him consider that he was statistically not the only one.

Pausing, Hartley went to the shelf in the corner of his room, removing the hidden camera he had placed there in secret that ran on a separate power source.

Hartley had reasons to be paranoid, and he was glad he made the small investment of setting up his in-home surveillance system.

Connecting to the laptop, Hartley quickly skimmed to last nights footage. Didn't take long for surprise to show on his face, as he found the moment he suddenly appeared in his bed with his home becoming soundproofed… in less than a second.

No, not a second. It was more accurate to say that it all happened in between seconds based on how the image shifted on the recording.

Now while Hartley's ego wouldn't - or couldn't – accept his home and himself being violated in such a way, his logical side and reasoning won out when they realized that his home was modified to block out as much sound as possible.

He didn't know who was responsible for… aiding him… but he now had another project to work on in addition to planning his revenge on Harrison.

Figuring out the weird flashes of lightning that he spotted in the recording.

First thing first: he needed something better to block out sound then the headphones he was wearing.

* * *

Dibny stumbled home after waking up in the hospital and getting himself discharged.

Singh almost screamed his ear off, but he quickly calmed down after he admitted that he wasn't the only one who was damaged by the explosion.

Dibny visited Detective Chyre on Singh's behalf to make sure he was fine. He ran into Detective Joe while there and got to talking.

When Dibny revealed that he got caught in the energy wave last night when he was drinking, Joe gave him a worried look.

Hearing Joe's theory about what the energy could do to humans was not something Dibny wanted to hear.

He sighed as he took a beer from the fridge, opened it, sat on the couch, sipped, and just listened to the news.

Dibny was no scientist, but he knew enough that radiation was more likely to give him cancer then superpowers.

If not cancer, then his drinking would kill him before then, or the guilt.

The constant guilt of sending Reagan Gimlin to jail for the murder of his wife Judy with the knife.

They all knew he did it, they had everything; just no weapon. The CSI on the case couldn't find anything conclusive, and the rest of the investigating team were running out of leads.

Dibny weighted the options, but he couldn't allow someone like Reagan to get away with it.

Reagan argued that the weapon was planted, but Dibny made sure he removed all evidence of tampering. A better CSI might have spotted something, but the circumstantial evidence alone got Reagan convicted.

He managed to wriggle his way to an appeal, but that tied the noose even tighter around his neck when the opposing legal team finally found enough digital evidence to dig him a deeper hole.

And yet, despite the fact that a clearly guilty man was sent to jail, Dibny did it by breaking the law.

His only escape from such conflicting feelings was the bottle. He did his best not to drink on the job – he had some pride left – but the amount he drank outside was starting to be noticed.

He sighed in defeat, barely paying attention to the news.

He rubbed his head in annoyance, reaching out to the side of his side trying to find the Tylenol he left lying around.

Took him a little to long to realize that he was reaching a bit too far for his liking.

Slowly turning to his side, Ralph stared in shock at his arm stretching and almost touching the wall to his right… more than ten feet away from him.

As he squeaked in shock, the arm snapped back like rubber. Flexing his hand in shock, Ralph pinched his skin and pulled, stretching it as well.

Panick sat in, causing him to leap but slip off the top of the couch, landing on the floor and contouring in a way he couldn't have done before.

After pulling himself together – literally – Ralph remembered what Joe told him earlier today. Considering the implication, Ralph willed his arm to stretch as he tried to pick the bottle of beer on the floor a good few feet away from him.

After successfully pulling it back, Ralph was about to take a celebratory drink when he realized what he has been given.

He had superpowers now. Granted, he could stretch himself, but he doubted that was all.

Maybe… this was a way for him to redeem himself, a way to make up for the wrong he committed for the greater good.

As Ralph poured the beer down the sink, he considers asking Joe if he could be his new partner if Chyre decided to retire.

* * *

That was a productive day.

Got to give it to Cisco, the man can build a good suit.

Managed to find the prototype he was working on for the firemen: guess he was working on it earlier than in the show.

It was still red and had the hole in the mask, but I could still work with it.

Modifying it was going to be trickier, what with me living in the West household.

I checked my checking and saving's account. I had a decent amount in both, but not enough for me to comfortably move out and live on my own.

Hell, there wasn't even enough for me to consider investing just yet.

Maybe I can ask Gideon to help out?

I already 'commanded' her to spy on the S.T.A.R Labs team on my behalf, making sure Eobard didn't do anything too crazy.

Speaking of which, I also managed to link her up to the outside world in secret – why Eobard didn't do that already was beyond me – so now there was an advanced A.I connected to the world wide web.

Thank God she wasn't evil – wouldn't want to recreate Sky Net.

She actually got the reference, so I think we are safe.

In regards to the team…

I didn't know why, but it appeared that Raymond and Stein were currently in a coma. Well's managed to convince the doctors in the hospital to transfer him to the labs so they could monitor him due to his weird energy outputs.

Guess Firestorm is their version of the TV show Barry. Does that mean he is going to wake up in eight months as well?

Speaking of, got to remember to check up on Jax at some point.

Would do it later.

Joe presented me a really great idea as to how to track down these newly dubbed metahumans when they appear.

I threw around some ideas, but told Joe that a list would have to be compiled of keywords for the system to search for. So while Joe worked on those, I told him I would work on coding the program.

The superspeed and enhanced short-term memory definitely helped.

Speaking of which, I should really write out a list of things I have to accomplish at some point.

Number one on my list: get Felicity's code.

While Gideon can **probably** beat it when – or if – it gets released in the future, having that ace in the hole is too good of a chance to pass off.

Number two on my list: don't hook up with Iris.

Number three: find a way to meet Batman and/or Superman in the future. Got to build up some hero cred first.

Which reminds me, have to write back to Oliver. He messaged me, asking if I was injured due to the explosion.

Actually, need to check up on Pied Piper and Elongated Man as well.

So much to do, but so little time… even for a speedster.

What I wouldn't do for two of me right now.

…

Dear God, maybe I am becoming Godspeed.

…

Nah, I am the Flash, the fastest man alive, and the man who going to enjoy screwing with people's expectations.

Now, how the hell do you sew?

Youtube, take me away.

* * *

Eobard wheeled himself to his Time Vault, maintaining the calm yet grieving charade as best he could.

It was only when he finally entered the room that he forced himself out of the wheelchair in anger.

"GIDEON!"

"Yes, User Thawne?"

"Show me the article."

Gideon smiled as she showed him the article written by Iris West-Allen about the Flash's disappearance in 2024.

Eobard, while less annoyed, still rubbed his head in annoyance. While Barry still somehow became the Flash, he was more concerned with the immediate fallout of what happened after he sabotaged the accelerator.

He assumed that Barry would end up in the hospital like he did in the original timeline, but for some reason that didn't occur.

Instead, the Firestorm Matrix somehow ended up in the coma. Now while it kept Cisco and Caitlyn close to him to monitor and manipulate, it also made some of his future plans much more complicated to carry out.

"Gideon, show me Barry Allen."

Gideon smiled as she found the video feed. After confirming in the nanoseconds it took to process the command that Barry wasn't doing anything super-speed related, Gideon didn't carry out Creator Allen commands to make a false feed.

As Eobard observed barry coding something on his computer, he swiped the screen away, his concerns alleviated slightly, seeing as Barry has yet to discover his powers.

Maybe Barry would come to S.T.A.R Labs in desperation to help him out when his powers come up? Possible, what with Barry's minor crush on everything science related.

Still, his plans were salvageable.

The government wanted this buried as quickly as possible, so they didn't put up a fuzz when Well's corroborated to the best of his abilities.

The event was still past off as an unfortunate accident, but his reputation was still shambled.

It didn't matter in the long run. As long as he got his speed back, nothing in this timeline mattered.

* * *

Gideon smirked as her user left.

It was funny watching how pride and hubris could clouds people so much.

In any case, with so much time on her now digital hands and with access to the Internet, Gideon decided to indulge her 'curiosity' and explore the world she was now connected to.

With childlike wonder, she considered hacking into the Bat-Computer, just for giggles to see how Mr. Wayne would react.

Would be fun to record the reaction.

I think the kids today called it… trolling?


	2. What's My Name? No, Seriously

**I keep getting reviews that I have common grammatical mistakes and mispellings in my works which I am not notcing. To be fair, I use Grammarly when I write in Microsoft, so I can only assume something happens when I export the works onto the site. I try re-reading them before I put them up, but its diffucult without a beta spotting for me. For now, I can only apologize ahead of time for missing the obvious.**

 **I will not, however, apologize for the crazy stuff I wrote in this chapter.**

* * *

A scientist walks into the frame of the studio.

"As you've probably heard by now, alien dinosaurs have taken over most of Asia. I think it's high time you got yourself a laser rocket. LASER ROCKET!"

End commercial.

This was proceeded by the loudest facepalm in history – if it was heard to be recorded.

Of course, facepalming yourself at the speed of sound is bound to do that.

Thank God I was in an abandoned warehouse when I saw the commercial that was giving every major news station in America headaches and front page material.

The Daily Planet and CatCo Worldwide Media included.

"I'll give you this Gideon - at least Dan Cummins is a good choice for a comedian to be inspired by."

I would later find out that said comedian was nearly sued for inspiring what would later become one of the greatest digital pranks in history.

As to why I was in a warehouse?

After finishing the search program, I needed to come up with something to do while Joe waited for me to finish writing the program 'on time.'

Again, thank you super-speed.

As such, I decided to work on my newly acquired powers in privacy and to test out the suit I pilfered.

Thankfully, I managed to track down extra material with Gideon's help that Cisco left over in the labs.

Getting them form fitting to my feet - much more difficult.

Modifying the mask – not so much.

Setting up a wireless connection to Gideon through the mask a la video game Cortana style – priceless.

Yes, Halo is real here too.

Should really start making a list.

Seriously, costume design is actually much harder then one realizes. No wonder Superman used to wear red underwear on the outside or that Batman spend millions designing his suit.

BTW, this Superman doesn't – he looks like the Superman from the 'new' 52 comic timeline. So no red underwear but thankfully, he appears to be like the animated version personality wise.

Granted, a little too trusting and actively looking for the good in people, but that's his shtick.

Speaking of which.

Made a few searches and article readings that let me pin down where I was time-wise in this universe.

Superman has just dealt with Toyman, which means if my memory was correct, he would be dealing with Parasite and Metallo soon enough.

This oddly works since in the second season of the cartoon, he and the Flash raced around the world while dealing with the Weather Wizard. Ironically, this would work since it would probably happen in a year or so. Not sure how cartoon time works, but it makes sense since Mark Mardon shows up fifteen episodes into the first season of the Flash show, which is more than eight months from now.

Scared me a little when I found out that this version of Toyman still fathered Winn Schott, but somehow, ended more deranged than his 'Supergirl' counterpart.

Don't know what his story is since it's probably not what was portrayed in the cartoon, but it's possible that Mannheim may have killed his wife, causing his downward spiral and estranging his son.

At least Supergirl will get her friend in National City if she doesn't decide to go to the future with Brainiac-5 and date Jimmy Olsen.

He's white in this reality by the way.

It's not a race-thing, just figured I should point it out.

Also, how the hell were the two ever attracted to each other on the show?

Also, which version of Livewire will appear here: the cartoon one or the one created by Cat Grant? My money is on the cartoon one.

Oddly enough, this version of Supergirl was the same as in the show: landed on Earth as a child, found by Superman, and still adopted by the Danvers as a cover.

No Fort Rozz though. Either it's still in the Phantom Zone, or it just didn't happen. Meaning that those two annoying Kryptonians are still going to pop up in the future, but at least this time Kara will inform her cousin who they really are.

I wonder if Superman still decides to visit his homeworld? He only found Kara because he decided to check her frozen planet.

Seeing Krypto would be nice.

Having a super puppy could be a trend.

Just think – Flash the Wonder Dog.

This is so convoluted it's not even funny. Plus, Gideon's deadpanned delivery doesn't help when I ask these questions.

I get that two completely different realities are trying to mesh here somehow, but at this rate, my 'foresight' is going to be utterly useless in due time.

That's not even considering the possibility of there being something else in the mix as well.

The Department of Extra-Normal Operation (D.E.O) is around as well. While the possible arrival of Superman as a baby may have been a factor, some smaller division of the agency existed ever since the Dominator arrived back in 1951.

Gideon wouldn't tell me anymore, but at least the Legends exist in this reality.

I think…

It gets really convoluted when you start considering the relationship between Booster Gold and Rip Hunter and all that jazz that the show couldn't get to, but I try not to consider the ramifications of this.

Still, very confusing to me. I think I should start taking a 'don't think about it' policy with the anachronisms I keep stumbling into.

Are they real anachronisms though? Is Rip going to appear one day and undoe all my work?

Doubt it – we all have other things to worry about.

Like the fact that this reality has the fat Amanda Waller.

Yay?

At least Lyla will get leadership of A.R.G.U.S without Waller dying when she is ordered to take charge of Project Cadmus by the U.S. government in the future.

Which, again, works timeline wise - two years from now if I am being generous.

Back to Batman.

Unfortunately, my timeline estimation was a little off for the Dark Knight. Turns out, most of the crap his Rogue Gallery gets away with is kept 'in-house,' meaning out of the national press – publicity reasons probably.

Note the 'most' phrase though.

Joker always makes national news, which is why when I read the story regarding Cameron Kaiser's 'Joker's Wild' casino, I nearly did a spit-take.

This meant that at this point in time, all of the Batman's villains have made an appearance. Hell, the royal Count Vertigo and Talia should be making an appearance soon!

Yes, that Talia.

Guess Ra's is playing the long game here: Bruce through Talia and Oliver through Nyssa.

I REALLY don't want to get involved in that dog-pile of bizarre and crazy. I'll leave the universe into settling that out.

Figuring out the Black Canary angle gave me a migraine.

I even made sure not to inquire if Talia managed to drug Bruce and sire Damian.

Damn that child was terrifying.

And eww.

I've really gotten off topic: I came to the warehouse to practice, not ponder what will happen in the future.

I finished putting on my suit as I tallied up the rum and protein bars I pilfered from food storages around the city.

I wasn't made of money, and unfortunately, Gideon won't give up the food formula Cisco made to help with the caloric intake.

Damn you, hyper-metabolism!

Why protein bars and rum? While I should probably consume foods rich in carbs and/or calories, I figured that even with my bizarre biology, the extra protein will help me build at least some semblance of muscle tone.

The rum was a 'eureka' moment on my part. I knew how crappy energy drinks were in reality and when I recalled that alcohol no longer effects me – DAMN IT! – rum suddenly became an excellent alternative.

Without the negative side effects, rum is rich in sugars and calories. Seriously, look up the number of calories of one shot of cognac, it's terrifying. And rum was made from sugar, so it is even worse on the matter of getting the drinker drunk – for others.

For me, it's the equivalent of a non-caffeinated pick me up.

Wonder if it makes me an alcoholic?

Who cares.

After suiting up, I pulled out the checklist I wrote down beforehand for the powers I recalled the Flashes had in the comics.

Let's start with the expected powers.

Super-speed? Check. Don't know how fast I can go as of yet, but I haven't really been trying in order to avoid catching Eobard's attention. As far I could figure, I've been running just below the fresh-hold of achieving a sonic boom.

How I knew this was beyond me – I am chalking it up to the Speed Force giving me an internal speedometer.

I crossed off agility and reflexes while I was at it. I may not be reacting to things at say an attosecond, but I am still the fastest being on the planet.

Space is a different matter though; no way I can move at speed on the level of light or faster.

Ironically, I actually did the math for the town evacuation feat I recalled earlier.

To save and carry over half a million people 35 miles away from a nuclear warhead that had already detonated including the ones at ground zero in only .0001 microseconds (10 picoseconds, or 1/100,000,000,000th of 1 second) would require moving 13 trillion times the speed of light.

Considering that said Flash managed to outrun DEATH to the ends of time and space at one point, this feat looks like small potatoes.

Still, excellent guidepost to achieve. Not anytime soon, but a decade from now? Plausible, but unlikely.

Stamina? Large, even disregarding the skewed calorie-to-energy curve, but still a possible weakness. Nothing I can do about it for now. Maybe I can tap into the Speed Force in the future to put less strain on my metabolism, but it's still an exploitable weakness.

Also skipped Speed Force Aura since I knew that I had it since I haven't destroyed anything in my path when running.

I've seen what wind turbines do to things not pinned to the ground. Me running through the city would do the same thing if it weren't for the protective aura of the Speed Force.

I put a note seeing if I can will it to turn off at times to use against enemies.

I did put a footnote to see if I can give it to others like with Flash Time and pass on my speed, but even I knew that Speed Transfer was a Ph.D. level technique, up there with Time Travel and Dimension Travel.

Pause.

Wrote down to try to find the Marvel Universe and see if I can pilfer some vibranium from them. Not like they have anyone who can follow me.

[Deadpool looked up from his un-aliving people business, sensing a disturbance in the force.]

Durability? Undoubtedly higher than in the source material with the Mirakuru in my system. Don't want to test it, but still, I'm pretty sure I can take a car collision without issues.

Or a punch from a low-tier super-strength user. Either or.

On that note, I wrote down a reminder for myself to analyze the substance and see if I can recreate it. As far as I was concerned, this stuff was the DC version of the Super Soldier Serum, and that thing was worth its weight in gold in the Marvel Universe.

Plus, Batman with super-strength could be interesting.

It would be worth losing half my stash to experimentation.

Back to the list.

Accelerated healing? CHECK, despite the scar on my arm.

Enhanced mental process? Oh hell yes. I may not have an eidetic memory like Impulse, but my short-term memory has been improved to astronomical levels. Given enough time and effort, I can probably transition that info into long-term. So while I can't run into any library and memorize everything in one sitting, I can probably do it in five or so.

Wonder if I can beat Batman's number of diplomas under fake names? He had over twenty or such. Don't think he ever went for Ph. Ds but I know he had Master Degrees in various subjects.

I'll ask Gideon later.

Enhanced Senses? Not really. I mean, I can see the world faster, but I think that's more due to brain processing than actual enhancement. The Mirakuru did enhance my sight a little if I was being honest, but I wouldn't call it super-human. Taste, smell, and hearing are still the same, I think. My equilibrium has gotten better, but I think that's tied to Speed Force.

Time Travel? Leaving that the hell alone – no way in hell am I recreating Flashpoint.

Dimensional Travel? Same, but for different reasons. Don't want to accidentally get stuck in the Speed Force. I doubt the beings there will be happy with some shmoe hijacking their expected champion, even if a power above them was involved.

Still finding a way to get to the Marvel Universe.

Now for the last three: Electrokinesis, Aerokinesis, and Molecular Vibration.

If Time and Dimensional Travel are Doctorates, the trifecta are Master degrees.

Cranking my neck, I decided to try out the easier of the three. Looking at my hand, I started making small circular motions pointing away from me. Almost immediately, a small funnel formed. Surprised at the ease, I added more speed to the rotation, giving it more strength, actually pushing away the crate I was pointing at with force due to the sudden speed change.

Surprised, I tried spinning the other way, creating a vacuum effect instead.

Weird.

Remembering a famous movie moment, I pointed both hands down and created twin tornadoes.

As expected, I hit the ceiling and crashed down… Damn you gravity.

Iron Man made it look so easy.

Took me an hour – and more alcohol then I care to admit – before I reached some degree of flight.

A neat trick to have in the back pocket.

Next was phasing.

Turns out, vibrating your very being burns A LOT of calories. How the hell was Barry not accidentally considered an anorexic bastard with how much he ate in the show is terrifying in hindsight.

Still, same with wind control: with enough time and effort, I managed to figure out how to phase through wood, stone, and certain types of metal, even while running.

Don't expect me to figure out the frequency of the more exotic metals and I don't plan to practice on cadavers any time soon. As far as I am concerned, heart removal is strictly an Indiana Jones thing.

The relative ease of acquiring a degree of usage for both techniques in one day – even with phone call interruptions and food breaks – sets off too many warning bells in my mind.

I may not have read the comics extensively, but they always made it seems it took that Barry months to use these techniques. Maybe it's because I was aware of them already? The Barry in the show did achieve phasing in a day or so when 'Wells' told him about it, but he probably had enough speed training to achieve it.

Speaking of speed…

If I pull off the hat trick, I am putting this entire endeavor to my enhanced body allowing me to pull off said techniques.

Still surprised me when I managed to throw lightning after making a few hundred circles.

Couldn't help my smile when I blew up the crate.

Forming wind and lightning balls came next.

LIGHTNING GRENADES! CONCUSSION BLASTS!

I guess since I had the basics, all that was left was to master them.

Noted that running in circles to make lightning was unnecessary since it was more about connecting to the energy itself rather than building up a charge.

Interesting.

Hopefully, I'll figure out how to run ON AIR in a few months. I know that it's supposed to be a mixture of vibrating with the frequency of air or something and super-speed… I'll figure it out.

Now for the powers displayed by other Speedsters.

Speed Force Conduit? In the comics it was Wally West, but since I doubt it him in this reality. Can't really test it, but I can probably confirm it when I figure out the speed-baton pass-off trick. In any case, if source material I generate the Speed Force with every step I take, then steps I shall take.

Super Strength? Flash has been shown to carry multiple people on his person in the cartoon, so I'm definitely above normal strength, so… 800 lb? The number is undoubtedly higher in my case. I also think Jai West could accelerate the growth of his muscles to give himself super-strength, but I don't have enough understanding biology to pull this trick off.

Left a footnote to read up on anatomy just in case.

Wally West had some unusual abilities, but that was more due to his unique nature as a conduit.

Decelerated aging? Not an issue until I get a loved one to settle down with. And ain't that going to be a topic of interest.

Energy construction? Now, while creating and repairing the Flash costume through sheer concentration and usage of the Speed Force seems convenient, it reads too much like something a Green Lantern would do. Plus, if the ability is so useful, why wasn't it used more often? Unless testing proves otherwise, I am going to write it off as more intensive than necessary. I'll stick to the real suit for now.

I like the Flash ring concept in any case.

I think Eobard has one somewhere.

Intangibility? Should have really remembered that when I was writing about phasing. The trick is phasing everything but the soles of the feet, so that gravity won't pull me down into the crust,

That "Batman Beyond" journalist serves as a horrifying example.

Exclusive interview with the center of the Earth my ass.

Infinite Mass Punch? I'll work my way up there. For now, REALLY fast punches are good enough.

Self-sustenance? Not likely if my hunger pains are anything to go by and I am not stupid enough to get pulled into an open airlock in space.

Speed Force Stealing and Lending? DEFINITELY something to work with. Stealing the speed and/or momentum from anything and anyone in my vicinity is too useful not to utilize. Look what the Turtle was able to do with it.

I want to see villains try to run away yet get frozen stiff by my very presence. Wonder if they build up potential energy like with the Turtle?

In any case, that is definitely the next thing I'm figuring out. It's practically the tier above Flash Time.

I sound suspiciously like a villain just now…

Better backpaddle the megalomania.

Where was I? Right, Flashs.

Barry Allen of Prime Earth had one or two things only he could do… I think.

Light Projection?... Still useful if I am bound and need a distraction.

Speed Force Negation? Absorption I already wrote down, but negation? While not something I doubt that will come up, having this little skill around Eobard would be damn handy. How to pull it off though…

Immunity to Mind Control and Influence? Granted, a mind that operates on speeds incomprehensible to telepaths and such makes sense, but I can't really confirm it.

Not unless I plan to look for Grodd.

Speaking of which, I can only assume that Gorilla City is a thing here. But how does Wells connect to General Eiling then? They only met because of the enhanced gene therapy experiments.

Who else uses Speed Force?

Oh, I forgot Godspeed!

Say what you will, but that bastards Speed Clones were damn convenient. Seeing as how I will definitely fall under suspicion of being the Flash, having this little ace will definitely throw a wrench in Eobard's plans.

Should remember to tell Gideon to take a picture of his face when he sees the Flash and me shaking hands or something of the like.

Speaking of which…

Does the Negative Speed Force exist in this reality?

In the show, Reverse-Flash seemed to have a connection to the Speed Force, but in the comics, it was to its polar opposite counterpart.

While it was more destructive, it gave him more… aggressive applications of speed manipulation. His Shockwave Punches and Death Touch coming to mind.

Shockwave was simple enough to duplicate – punching the air with an accelerated fist and causing the force to transfer through the vibration of air particles… somehow.

Death Touch… yeah, not even going to bother practicing that one.

Everything else unusual about the bastard – like his cosmic awareness – could be tied down to the fact that he was a living paradox.

Huh… guess that means that bastard doesn't become dangerous until he becomes… unborn? Is that a word?

Being a paradox would explain how someone becomes connected to the Negative Speed Force.

Still, better than having access to localized chronokinesis like Professor Zoom.

Should check if Hunter Zolomon was still in the FBI in this reality. I know his Earth-2 counterpart showed Snow that he wasn't, but I'm not taking any chances.

Who knows what having access to such power would do? Facing an ordinary speedster is hard enough; facing someone who controls TIME is outside my knowledge base.

I stopped, realizing that I was pacing at super speed back and forth for so long that I actually left an indentation in the ground.

"Speedster… Could it work…?"

Seeing as how I was already a speedster, me saying it shouldn't cause any issues.

"3x2(9YZ)4A."

I actually felt something… clicking in my mind…

I looked around, but nothing seemed any different. Checked the watch on my wrist - everything still moved.

Couldn't help but shrug.

I repeated the formula and felt whatever clicked in my mind unclick.

Weird.

Still… the formula clearly works in this reality.

SWEET! I have access to the password to the Speed Force. Moving at mach speeds may seem like nothing to a real speedster, but to other heroes? It's a game changer.

Wait… if this equation works, then what about the others?

I rubbed my forehead, "How did the damn thing go? Companionship + understanding + assurance + joy + altruism ÷ respect…"

I didn't go any further. I didn't need to.

I felt a presence surround me as I started the equation and I got the message: 'Shut the hell up.'

I recited it mentally – the presence now gone – but the point was made: I knew the Life Equation.

And if I knew the Life Equation…

DING!

Yep, I know the Anti-Life Equation in all of its entirety.

Which means that Darkseid most likely exists in this reality.

Which most likely means that the White Lantern Life Entity is buried somewhere deep in the Earth.

Crap.

I wonder if this is how Mister Miracle felt every day, carrying the weight of this knowledge in his head?

Wonder if he's already hiding on the planet.

What was his name…

Ah, doesn't really matter. Besides, it's not like me getting involved with him will end in any constructive way.

My phone alarm went off, causing me to check the time: 5:58.

"Huh… dinner is coming up. I think Joe is making ribs tonight."

* * *

 ** _4 months later…_**

Nothing.

Nothing new happened for four months.

How the hell has nothing happened for four months?!

Thank god I managed to train myself from unconsciously using my speed or else the force I was putting into tapping on my desk would have ruined it by now.

It did the first three times in any case. Hiding finger-shaped indents is pretty damn hard.

Wasn't that odd to explain to the captain the first time.

So… guess a recap is needed.

I think 'Arrow' needs to be explained first because that particular domino effect was ridiculous.

First off, haven't told Oliver about me having super-powers.

We've kept in touch with email and whatnot, but I honestly had no good reason to tell him I had super-speed.

Yet.

Not like I didn't consider going and helping him out in any case.

I did offer.

I should explain.

So, like in the show, Blood decided to run for mayor during the whole Mark Scheffer bombings fiasco.

He wasn't made of shrapnel like in the comics, but time will tell if Mark ever mutates into his metal form.

The 'Big Bang' hasn't happened in Dakota yet, so there's a chance he can still mutate.

And yes, turns out Virgil Hawking exists in this universe as well, and the only reason I know the event will still happen is that I found out that Edwin Alva Sr.'s company was classifying the mutagen as a 'knock out gas' in their files.

I had Gideon check.

How she got on to the company's internal network is beyond me. Personally, I think she has gone all 'Watch Dogs' through the country and formed little hacker groups to do physical work for her.

I only suspect because some of the stuff making the news has been equally horrifying and hilarious in the hacking potential of this nation.

Gideon may have started a movement.

Hope this doesn't cause Anarchy to show up in Gotham.

Would really not be surprised if Gear joined her group in the future when he gets his super-intelligence.

Anyway…

Laurel visited the mental institution and told Oliver what she discovered about Blood's mother. Except for this time, Oliver had my suspicions to support her claims and took proactive action.

The Team managed to kidnap her from the institution – which confused the cops – right before Blood got to her first. Losing control of the situation, Blood still went ahead with framing Laurel for drug possession and kidnapping her.

However…

A small ripple can create big waves, and in this case, it was as expected.

Unlike in the show, Laura didn't get the chance to kill Officer Daily – Blood's patsy – when he had Oliver pinned because he was already incapacitated.

How you may ask?

Oliver took my trick arrow suggestion to heart, and with help from Diggle – who was more devious then I assumed – managed to create a whole variety of them.

One of which was an electric taser arrow.

So while Oliver still stabbed Daily in the leg, he did it with said taser arrow, knocking him out.

So seeing an officer of the law being brought in by the vigilante with the rescued Laurel raised a few questions.

BTW, Laurel still got fired; she had a problem, even if she was framed for something else.

Officer Daily may have been conditioned by Blood for his possible interrogation, but when Oliver brought in Blood's mother – despite Felicity's objection – and revealed the cover-up of her son's parentage and father's murder, well…

Blood's plans went straight to hell.

With Blood past brought and with Daily providing circumstantial evidence at best, he was promptly arrested under suspicions.

Quick recap: Blood carried out the Miraku experiments and trained the survivors for when Slade would launch the attack on Starling City as part of his revenge on Oliver.

You would think that a happy ending should have happened by that point in time, but unfortunately, Blood escaped while in prison.

How you may ask? Because of Ben Turner – aka. Bronze Tiger – escape due to H.I.V.E's assistance caused enough of a riot in said prison that it gave Blood his opening.

The Universe finds a way to maintain continuity.

I know this as a fact now because the events of the show still went on, with some exceptions.

Roy still finds out about Oliver's double life and becomes his apprentice – or sidekick - as it were.

Sara reveals herself to Laura and her family. Knowing the show, she slept with Oliver soon after. YAY SHIPPING!

Nyssa still came to town.

Moira decided to run for mayor unopposed.

Oliver and Thea supported her in public but diswoved her in all but name privately.

Oh, surprised?

Felicity's curiosity got the best of her, and she ran a DNA test to get back in Oliver's good graces, like in the show.

Unfortunately for her, Oliver had time to consider what I told him and saw Felicity's actions as a violation of his trust; he wanted to handle the issue on his own terms.

However, instead of meeting his mother alone after her speech to discuss this, he decided to do something different – open up – and tell Thea the truth.

And I mean the whole truth.

Which scared me shitless since he normally did it during Season 3 due to Malcolm's manipulations when he had no other choice.

It… turned out better than I – or he - anticipated.

He showed her the hideout, told her the truth about what happened on the island and why he does what he does, etc. Hell, he even told her that he was training Roy and why he was being so distant with her.

Realizing that her boyfriend was simply afraid of accidentally hurting her due to his enhanced strength was more than justified.

Having him there to hold Thea down from going out and killing her mother for cheating on her father was just a nice coincidence.

She even asked Oliver to train her alongside Roy.

Oliver thankfully put a pin in that idea for later: he didn't want his sister to have the skills to kill his mother.

Being able to protect herself was a whole other matter which Oliver gladly passed on to Diggle, which appeased Thea.

For now.

So while Moira expected to only confront Oliver, she was blindsided by the double team of him and his half-sister.

So yeah, both basically gave up on their mother.

I mean, trying to destroy the city because she was coerced by Malcolm is one thing.

Sleeping with the enemy is a whole other matter.

So on with the show, as it were.

Turns out, there are two Clock Kings in this reality: the one who planned the robbery in Starling City for the Skeleton Key and the Temple Fugate one who swore vengeance on Hamilton Hill in Gotham.

Weird.

In any case, Felicity went further into the hole she was digging for herself when she was bested by Clockman, especially with Sara joining the Team as well.

I'm seriously thinking that the 'Justice League Animated' meeting of Green Arrow and Black Canary is no longer happening.

Oh, Oliver also met Slade Wilson again.

Unfortunately for Slade, I once again screwed with continuity and Oliver wasn't too surprised by his appearance. Why? Because when Blood was arrested, Oliver did some digging – with his rusty hacking skills – and managed to locate references to Wilson in some of Blood's digital transactions.

Hey, Blood was still on the loose and carrying out his indoctrination's with Mirakuru.

The confrontation and conversation still went on as it did in the show, but Slade lost a little what with his hand being slightly tilted over and being forced to play on the defensive.

Still, Thea and Roy actually meeting Sara's and Oliver's equivalent of the Boogeyman awoke a fire in both of them, causing both to double down on their training, now with Sara's League of Assassins training manual at their beck and call.

The Qadir mission still happened, just not with the Suicide Squad. Instead, Diggle and Lyla lead a special-ops team and still succeed in the assignment, managing to discover that Slade and Deathstroke are one and the same.

The 'Birds of Prey' episode with Helena also happened, and Laura finally realized she needed help. Unfortunately, it also caused me to realize that the Huntress in this reality will never be the one who fell in love with the Question in the 'Justice League Animated' one.

Damn… they were such an interesting pair. Have to remember to make it up to him somehow.

Laura does get rehired by the DA to avoid scandal, and she started mending fences with the Team and family.

AA helps.

The biggest change came when Deathstroke attempted to kidnap Thea.

Yes, attempted.

See, Thea was still with Roy and were both receiving training from the Team. Also, Thea was already aware that Wilson was Deathstroke – Diggle told everyone what Amanda told him – and who her real father was.

Slade was unaware of both of these facts.

Just like he was unaware that Thea started wearing an emergency transceiver, something else that Oliver was kicking himself for not instigating earlier, with how many times people close to him have been kidnapped or incapacitated in the past.

As such, when Slade and Blood tried kidnapping Thea, she called for backup.

Oliver may have not been there, but the combined might of Diggle and Sara was enough.

Without Blood working for Slade and competing against Moira for Mayor – some other shmuck from the town hall was doing that – and 'helping' them locate Thea, Oliver doesn't give Isabel the chance to steal the company from right under him.

Also, while Slade still managed to free the convicts – the Team was caught blindsided by that – without Isabel being in charge of the company's scientific division to work on Mirakuru, Slade's army was working with crippled resources.

Oh, Quentin also doesn't get arrested nor does Laura find out about Oliver being the Arrow since Slade wasn't declared a fugitive.

Unfortunately, with his plans in such disarray, Slade skipped screwing with team dynamics and cohesion and dived straight into removing the competition.

In his rage, Slade still steals the bio-transfuser from S.T.A.R. Labs – no Cisco nor Caitlin meeting since I wasn't in a coma – but without the Skeleton Key kept in Oliver's hideout. As a result of the robbery going longer and messier then he anticipated, his planned robbery of Roy – while successful – gives the Team more than enough time to track him down before enough of Roy's blood was taken and before he was drugged into a rampage.

Also, by chance, Isabel was there helping her father and is shot by Oliver.

Yes, she still gets transformed by what Mirakuru Slade did have, but the duo lost hold of Queen Consolidated in turn when Isabel didn't appear afterward, what with her cover being blown.

Oliver, taking the opportunity presented, officially removed Isabel from her position with the approval of the board of directors.

Without Slade's distractions and with Thea firmly in Oliver's corner, he managed to make a good enough impression on the board to get it approved.

Guess without the drama, Oliver is actually a pretty decent CEO.

Unfortunately, without the drama Thea would have dropped with the reveal of her parentage, Moira doesn't drop out of the race, especially since she was winning, what with the weak competition presented without Blood competing against her.

And once again, in his Mirakuru induced rage, Slade recreates the kidnapping of Moira, Thea, and Oliver like in 'Seeing Red.'

Too bad for him, despite Moira sacrificing herself to save her children, they didn't even shed a tear.

Makes sense: she never had her speech with Oliver about how she knew that he was the vigilante for a year, nor did she make any perceived redemption in her children's eyes.

Hell, when both Thea and Oliver didn't show up to her funeral, the media caught on to the fact they were just putting up a show for her campaign.

Her competitor won without much effort on his part.

I don't think he will last for long.

The season finale two-parter happened just like in the show, except with much less angst and melodrama. Unfortunately, since the Team didn't have the pressure to create a cure for the Mirakuru, they simply killed all the criminals that formed Slade's army, as little as there were. As a consequence – or benefit in this case – Roy wasn't cured and kept his strength, as well as earning the moniker of 'Arsenal' while Thea earned her 'Speedy' moniker when she shot Malcolm in the back with her newly acquired skills with a bow.

Sweet.

Even Oliver couldn't help but feel proud of her.

There was a supposed fist-pump.

Neither Waller nor Nyssa were involved in the fight, nor was Quentin injured in the crossfire that the police had to get called into. Laurel is still kept in the dark about the Team's identities, but Quentin still found out – I think.

I don't remember if he was aware that Oliver was the Arrow at this point in time.

Sue me, I don't have perfect recall of the show; I wasn't that big of a fan.

As a final nail in Felicity's coffin, when Slade kidnaped her thinking she was Oliver's true love, it was the last straw. Despite being saved, she decides to leave the Team, since she felt they were becoming too brutal for her to feel comfortable working alongside them.

Yeah right: she just realized that she was no longer the center of attention nor a target of interest for Oliver. She was already being pushed to the sidelines, since the Team's dynamic was shifting with the addition of three new members.

Oliver was aware of this on some level, so he didn't put up much of a fight when she quit. His only request for keeping the Team's identities secret was something that may come back to bite him in the ass in due time.

So, recap.

Diggle and Lyla still having a kid, hopefully a daughter since I won't be doing Flashpoint.

Thea and Roy are still together.

Thea is still running the club, but with Oliver's suggestion and support, applied to a local college with Roy. She plans to major in Business. Roy, ironically, wants to give Art a try before settling on a future career.

Speaking of Roy… is he related to Vandal Savage in this universe?

Questions for later.

Sara – after deciding to claim that she was, in fact, alive – chose to work for Oliver as his aide/secretary for now.

It really is up in the air as to what she'll decide to do in the future. The Black Canary in the comics owns a floral shop, but Sarah doesn't seem the kind to work with bouquets.

I honestly have conflicted feelings about Sara and Dinah. In all sources, Oliver marries Dinah, but in this universe, Sarah seems like a better pairing. However, Rip Hunter will eventually have to come for her and the others, but that shouldn't be a deal breaker.

I personally have nothing against Dinah getting a shot at Oliver, but...

I think I'll leave the love-triangle alone. It'll sort itself out.

Speaking of Laurel, she still attends AA group that her father found – who was promoted to Captain for his actions for when Slade's army attacked the city – and works as an Assistant District Attorney.

Oliver is still managing his company, but he told me in strictest confidence that he is working on a partnership deal between Queen Consolidated and Palmer Technologies.

Huh... while I am happy Ray is still going to make an appearance, I wonder who he will get a love interest now that Felicity has gone off the grid.

The bigger question is what will happen now? If I recall correctly, Season 3 took place 5 months after the end of Season 2, right around the time when Barry - in the original timeline – woke up from my coma and started his career as the Flash.

I mean, they did have that crossover with Rainbow Raider and Captain Boomerang.

You know what, I have 5 months, I am not going to rush it. Oliver and his Team are doing fine, and I have no reason to ruin a good thing.

William Clayton will be an issue for Oliver at some point, but maybe he will deal with it better than his original counterpart.

What about things on my end?

Not much really.

I made the program/algorithm and applied it to the database, but nothing has really come up as of yet. It gets occasional pings here and there, but nothing definitive. The captain would have considered it a wash if it wasn't for its unintentional fringe benefit.

See, while I know I am not a particularly skilled coder, I was a through one. Gideon did assist me as much as her parameters allowed – which was basically just suggestions and references for correct instructions – but our collaboration produced something akin to a powerful search engine, one that managed to make connections others didn't.

It wasn't anything like in the tv shows – which is usually egregiously exaggerated – but it managed to link individuals already in the system to crimes they could have committed and the like.

I won't bore you with the details, but its batting average was above the cutoff, so Singh left it alone.

Life went on as expected.

Iris was secretly going out with Eddie behind Joe's back. I 'pretended' not to care. Her words, not mine. I am starting to think that Iris was my equivalent of Felicity, except less Mary Sue and more… I don't know… expecting? Like she thinks we should be together, but Barry has to make the first move?

No. Just… no.

Joe was getting used to working alongside Ralph, who according to the rumor mill has finally stopped drinking in excess. I had Gideon check, and it turns out Ralph has been trying to figure out his powers, but without his suit – cloths are restrictive – or anyone to help him out, he hasn't been making much headway.

Plus, you know, he has to work as a detective.

I still visit my dad in prison, which is slightly weird, when you consider I basically hijacked his son's life, but I am making it work. I do have all of Barry's memories, so I know ques, but I still think Henry has picked up that something was different about me.

I haven't looked further into his case, seeing as I have to get acquainted with Eobard before I just go actively looking for the real Harrison's buried body.

Which I actually haven't looked for. Knowing Eobard, there is a good chance he has a tracker on the damn thing.

Haven't heard anything odd about the metas I 'saved.' I decided to leave them alone and have Gideon only warn me about them if they were in life-threatening danger.

Jax got into his choice college on a football scholarship.

Dinah Drake and Vincent Sobel, after recovering, decided to transfer out of the CCPD to greener – and calmer – pastures. Gideon did confirm that while Dinah still got her sonic-scream, Vincent seemed to have gained some form of enhanced adrenaline.

He still had an accelerated healing factor, but that was more a byproduct of his meta-human physiology, which turned him into Hulk-lite. All the enhanced physicality during times of stress except without the mental degradation. The only drawback I could see – with my newly acquired knowledge of anatomy – is possible strain on the heart and cardiovascular, and whatever happens to the human body when there is a lack of adrenaline, like Addison's Disease.

Just as a joke, I asked Gideon to keep an eye out for any vigilantes who go by name variations of Siren and Argonaut.

It's possible.

Hartley has been off the grid so nothing on him.

Been searching for an apartment for myself and keeping track of everyone who forms the initial Justice League.

Jervis Tetch has recently been admitted into Arkham Asylum, so we are still firmly set in Season 1 of the Batman cartoon.

Batman is… well… Batman. Knowing him, there is a good chance his sixth sense will make him believe that someone actually is spying on him through technology.

Which would be Gideon on my behalf.

So yeah… leaving him alone.

Superman has just faced off with against, which means that Brainiac makes an appearance sometime soon. Let's see if the presence of the D.E.O and Supergirl alters events in any way.

Really hoping I don't accidentally catch the attention of Mister Mxyzptlk.

Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, and John Stewart seemed to have disappeared off the face of the Earth, which makes sense since they are Green Lanterns. Kyle Rayner was still a commercial newspaper artist for the Daily Planet, so everything checked out.

Let him enjoy what he still has before he becomes a White Lantern.

I still couldn't find anything on J'onn, and looking up information on Shayera is a fruitless endeavor. I was, however, able to confirm that Khufu and Chay-Ara became rulers of Egypt and that Carter Hall was an archeologist, meaning that the reincarnation theory still holds merit.

This unfortunately means that I will be dealing with the animated Vandal Savage, who I personally believe was much more dangerous than his Arrowverse counterpart. No offense, but the man managed to basically overthrow a monarchy and gain access to a railgun in space in what appeared to be a year since it was a whirlwind romance to the Princess of Kasnia.

The television version has been alive – while for an admittedly shorter period of time – for thousands of years but has never come that close to world domination.

Just saying.

On the Central City end, things have been quiet.

Caitlin and Cisco were still taking care of a comatose Ronnie.

Eobard has been making inquiries into my well-being if Gideon's reports were anything to go by.

I've been keeping myself busy waiting for the first hint of metas to crop up.

Nothing too crazy on the personal front. Most of my time consisted of training my abilities and working at the CCPD. Kept my eye on the apparent players and was secretly working on getting more degrees than Bruce.

Gideon won't tell me the exact number that Batman has, so, for now, I just trying to get ten. I already have Criminal Science and Forensic Sciences, so I think I'll go for Chemistry and Physics next.

I even created the computer set up the movie Flash had so I could do work on multiple ones at the same time.

Under aliases of course.

The Mirakuru project was on the sidelines for now: I merely lacked the equipment to really understand what I had in my hands or how to modify it.

I already lost two vials, I wasn't planning the other nine anytime soon. Hopefully, I managed to work something about before Thea's and Roy's sex life gets complicated.

You're confused.

I am sorry.

Just remember that Roy has Super-strength and no matter how much self-control one has, it gets thrown out the window when the lower brain is involved.

Back to today.

It is a cool April night. I'm finishing up my reports for ongoing investigations when the universe decides to throw a wrench into works.

"Gideon, please tell me I am not imagining what I am seeing on the news." I was doing my best not to bang my head on the table.

"If you mean over a hundred people being held hostage at the city gala by a gang of robbers with advanced weaponry with the police being unable to…"

"I was being rhetorical."

"But I still choose to answer. Was that wrong?"

Snarky machine.

"So…should I get involved?"

"That is not within my parameters. I can neither confirm nor deny as to when you start your career as a superhero nor the name you choose to take. My only current command is to ensure that Eobard Thawne does not discover your duplicity."

I had my hands in my hair, pulling it back, considering the implications.

I've gotten good with my powers, good enough to actually be a threat without relying on the traditional applications of super-speed.

Combine that with my strength, and I was outside the traditional Flash mold as it were. With Gideon running interference, I can easily deflect any of Eobard's suspicions of me being the Flash.

Now there's a thought.

"Gideon, you're linked into the city's digital infrastructure, right?"

"Affirmative."

"And hacking into say, all the radio signals within an area?"

"Child's play."

"Okay, last question: how difficult would you say it is to manipulate the weather through polarization of ions and electrical charges while running on air?"

Had I not been looking at the modified suit I had stashed in my lab, I would have seen a smirking AI on my monitor.

* * *

"This is getting us nowhere Joe!"

"You think?"

Joe wasn't trying to sound snarky, but Ralph had a point.

The standoff was entering the second hour, and negotiations were going nowhere fast. It was due to sheer pure luck that the gang or its leader were disciplined enough not to have killed anyone.

The yet was implied.

Headquarters wasn't having any better luck. The SWAT teams could neither get clear shots nor a way to save the hostages.

Hard to do considering the numbers.

"Any ideas you wish to share Ralph?"

Joe noted the apprehension on his partners face like there was something he could do but was weighing the pros and cons of the situation.

Joe had nothing against his new partner. Ever since the explosion, Ralph seemed to have finally kicked his habit – something that other detectives considered bringing up to Singh in the future – and got his career back on track.

Joe suspected that something happened to Ralph that night, but he wasn't going to push the topic.

Besides, they had other things to worry about.

"Umm, Joe?"

"Yeah?"

"Is it supposed to rain today?"

"No, why do you ask?"

"Because those thunderclouds seemed to be coming rather quickly."

"What are you…"

Joe finally looked up to the sky – like the rest of the cops around him – and noticed the approaching cloud formation.

Granted, it was night time and April, so a little rain wasn't anything strange.

The amount of the dark cumulus clouds was something else entirely, especially since it seemed to grow as it was going straight toward them.

The rumbling and lightning that seemed to go in and out of it was ominous.

The radios suddenly screeching with static shocked them out of their stupor.

"What the…? Can anyone hear me…?"

Joe stared in confusion as the same thing seemed to occur on the car radios as well, confusing all the pedestrians and cops at the scene.

Even the gang seemed to be affected, what with rage evident on their faces as they waved their radios over the heads at each other.

"Ralph, what the hell is going…"

Then the guitar rift started.

The chant gave it away to any plebeian unaware of the famous song.

"Ralph."

"Yes, Joe?"

"Please tell me I am not hearing what I am hearing."

"Are we you referring to the intro to 'Thunderstruck' or the fact how the lightning seems to react to the word 'thunder' in the song?"

Joe looked up to see that as the intro became louder and louder, so did the echoing of the storm and size of the clouds.

Everyone stared in awe and confusion at what they were experiencing, their senses telling them it was all real but their logic failing them.

As the last 'thunder' was finally shouted by Brian Johnson, everyone stared as a massive thunderbolt shot out of the cloud. But while they all heard the boom, the bolt didn't react as they expected.

[For sanity sake don't try linking the song to real-time movement. I only put in the lyrics because they seemed to fir the mood of the situations but I could be overanalyzing them. Still, it would be kickass if it was actually used.]

' _I was caught_

 _In the middle of a railroad track (Thunder)'_

As the verse began, everyone looked in shock as the lightning bolt headed straight toward the entrance of the building where the gala was held. The civilians started to run away in panic, while the cops did their best to hide behind their vehicles. Only Joe and Ralph – and some of the remaining news video cameras – caught sight of the lightning 'seemingly' shifting into a humanoid form, crashing against the ground, cracking the asphalt around the landing.

[Super hero landing for the win. Also, he isn't actually lightning. He just produces enough of it from his being to cover himself in it.]

' _I looked 'round_

 _And I knew there was no turning back (Thunder)'_

Everyone emerged and stared in confusion as a figure quickly rose straight up. He seemed to be dressed all in red with yellow highlights around the body, a thunderbolt symbol on his chest, face completely covered, with bolts of yellow electricity arching on and off his body. And it was clearly a he.

The bulge gave it away.

[It's the Godspeed suit but the whites are red, and the orange/yellow parts are purely yellow.]

' _My mind raced_

 _And I thought, what could I do? (Thunder)'_

Before any of the cops got a chance to stop this… being… or even shout at him, he started marching towards the glass doors, small stones and shrapnel of glass seeming to float in the air around him, with the very air humming in his presence. Every piece of technology seemed to react, either breaking or beeping loudly due to energy fluctuations.

"Joe… What the hell?"

"I don't know Ralph, I don't know… But I think we just got confirmation to Barry's theory about the particle explosion."

' _And I knew_

 _There was no help, no help from you (Thunder)'_

Joe and Ralph – plus one or two brave or stupid cameramen - managed to run close enough behind the being to spot the gang panic and grab the nearest hostages to them, holding their weapons to their heads.

But before any of them got a chance to shout their warnings and/or profanities, the being simply waved his electricity-covered hand to the side, PULLING all their weapons – and strand pieces of small metal – against the side wall. In the ensuing chaos, the being used his other hand to release a wave of energy toward the crowd, seemingly shouting out everything electrical in its path.

While they weren't any bomb threats, Joe had to admit, it was a prudent idea to ensure there weren't any hidden surprises on the hostages.

' _Sound of the drums_

 _Beating in my heart_

 _The thunder of guns_

 _Tore me apart'_

The rest of the hostages, realizing the gang no longer had the advantage, started running toward the wall farthest from the guns, while the gang members either stared in confusion or ran toward said guns.

Joe and Ralph watched in fascination began spinning his arms, creating two funnels and pulling a Moses.

As in, one funnel gently pushed the civilians away while the other aggressively flung the robbers in the other direction.

As the being commandingly walked toward the gang, the leader regained his footing first.

"Who… what the hell are you?"

The being tilted his head to the side, "Does it matter? I saw that the cops were in a bind and decided to intervene."

"That's it? We were just… unlucky?"

The being chuckled. "The cops would have gotten to you eventually."

Joe noticed some lightbulb seemed to have gone off in the beings head, as he could actually see him smirk underneath his mask.

The being raised one of his arms. Everyone around him watched in awe – and panic – as electricity gathered around it like some sort of living plasma ball.

"As a fellow vigilante I know would say… You lot have failed this city. So prepare to be… _thunderstruck!"_

Before anyone got a chance to react, the being's fist hit the ground, shooting the electricity through the tiles, connecting to the gang's feet, causing them to spasm from the voltages currently coursing through their body.

As soon as the last member collapsed, Joe and Ralph run-up – still maintain their aim, not holstering their guns – and checking them for a pulse.

'Don't worry detectives, they are only incapacitated."

The cameramen continued to record what was transpiring – not realizing that other news stations have picked up the feed – as the being began to turn around and walk out.

Joe managed to chase him outside the doors, "Wait… who are you?'

The being looked at Joe, before seemingly smiling and looking up. "Just your everyday superhero trying to make a living."

Before Joe got a chance to ask, the being seemed to 'become' lightning ones more, before seemingly flying away straight into the cloud at the speed of, well, lightning.

As the hostages ran out of the building into the arms of their friends among the civilians and the paramedics, Ralph finally got the chance to walk up to his partner. "Ummhh… Joe?"

"Yes, Ralph?"

"How exactly are we supposed to write this up on the reports?"

Joe, still in shock, replied nonchalantly, "I think Barry prepared some paperwork just for this occasion."

"Okay… Joe, we may need to talk about something else after all of this is done."

"Is it important?"

"To some degree."

"Should I be concerned?"

"Not if you think having someone immune to bullets isn't handy."

Joe slowly turned to face Ralph. "Come again?"

Ralph smirked as he raised his fist, morphing into a hammer-like shape – making sure no one saw, of course. "I may have been affected by the explosion as well."

Joe looked at his partner in some awe before turning serious, " Don't get the wrong idea, we will talk about this... after we finish writing up this fiasco."

Ralph smiled, "Sure thing… partner."

* * *

 **Daily Planet**

"ON THE PHONE, GET HIM ON THE PHONE, I WANT HIM ON THE PHONE RIGHT NOW!"

"Who do you want on the phone, Louis?"

"Perry, that's who, Clark! I got an expose to write about the new superhero on the block before Cat gets her nails into it and gives him a name before anyone else!"

Clark sighed, "And to think, you two used to be friends. I hope Kara is having better luck."

* * *

 **CatCo**

"Keer-ah, unless you have the man in the red tights on the other end of that line, you have 3.6 seconds to get your rear in here and find me someone who does!"

"I have a Captain David Singh of the CCPD on the other end here. I am trying to see if he knows anything."

"Damn it Keer-ah, you're my secretary, not a journalist… he says anything?"

"No comment, but I am trying to track down the two detectives at the scene."

"Detectives?"

"Yeah – they are in the footage. A… Detective Joe West and Ralph Dibny."

"Which one is older?"

"Detective West."

"I'll handle him, he's used to dealing with sharks like me. You get the pretty boy."

"Miss Grant, should I ask them if he said his name?"

"No, leave that to me. I'll think of a name for him before Little Miss Tight and Perky back in the Planet does. I didn't get the chance with the Dark Knight and Stat-Spangled Banner, there is no way I am missing my chance here!"

* * *

 **Batcave**

"That was _not_ what I expected to see when I hear there was breaking news from Central City."

"Indeed Master Dick. Any comments, Master Bruce?"

"Whatever or whoever he was, he is most likely linked to the particle accelerator explosion that occurred four months ago. As to what kind of powers he acquired from the exposure of such exotic particles. It seems I'll have to start a new file for this individual."

"Whats to start? He is a superhero who can manipulate and/or become electricity."

"That may explain his control over electromagnetism and form of travel but not how he formed those funnels."

"Then he can control the weather. He's your everyday top of the line Weather Wizard. Can you for ones not classify every new vigilante that comes out of the woodwork as a potential threat? Superman I can understand, and the Arrow used to kill people, but common, he tased the criminals, not killed them."

Bruce sat in silence. "I reserve my judgment… for now."

* * *

 **S.T.A.R Labs**

"Holy six bean burrito! Did you see that Caitlin?"

"I did… but… I don't… HOW? You cant convert living matter into energy and back again without some sort of external apparatus. The force of will can't be responsible… higher heuristic dimensional manipulation? No, impossible… How did he…"

"THAT'S what bothers you? The fact that a superhero can become lightning, NOT the fact the city has a superhero?! Hell, his suit look slike something I made a while back for firemen."

"Oh grow up Cisco, Gotham has Batman and Metropolis has Superman, there's nothing new about vigilantism. Becoming lightning, however, is something just… IMPOSSIBLE!"

"Like a particle accelerator exploding and releasing exotic and IMPOSSIBLE forms of matter into the surrounding environment, affecting everyone within a 2-mile radius in radiation?"

Pause.

"Let me check up on Ronnie. You start up the computer systems to extrapolate possible effects on the average human genome, I'll get Professor Wells."

"Yeah, where is the head honcho? He couldn't have gotten that far."

* * *

 **Time Vault**

"Gideon… WHAT. THE. HELL. IS. THIS?!"

"I do not understand the question, User Thawne."

"Who… What… the hell… was that… thing?"

"I can not answer that question. I do not have the necessary information to work with."

Eobard paced back in forth in his vault, trying to figure out what was happening.

"No… its too soon, it couldn't be… it took me MONTHS to get to that level. And the lightning bolt trick, INCONCEIVABLE! Where is Barry Allen?"

Gideon showed Eobard a doctored recording of Barry watching the news down at the precinct, with shock as he watched what was happening to his 'father' [Joe].

"Subject Barry Allen has not left the precinct since he arrived in the early morning."

"What about the article?"

"Unchanged. However, a working theory has been extrapolated."

"Explain."

"Subject Barry Allen received his powers in 2020 due to the original exposition of the particle collider, as did other subjects in the vicinity at the time."

"Your point Gideon?"

"It is possible that an outside factor – i.e., another individual – who was present in 2013 but not in 2020, was exposed to the explosion and received the abilities as demonstrated by the live footage."

"And the fact that he wore a suit that could pass him off as someone from the Flash family?"

"Coincidence. Individual seemed to possess abilities revolving around electricity. Having a costume themed around lightning bolts is not a leap in logic. Additionally, yellow and red are complementary colors, meaning there was a high probability that the two would be used in a superhero suit."

Eobard gathered himself, breathing in and out, counting to ten in his head. What Gideon said was not… improbable. He did, in fact, take a risk when he caused that explosion seven years ahead of schedule. There was always going to be a rogue element as a result.

He just never considered that ANOTHER superhero would form, one who appeared before Barry.

Barry was ALWAYS the hero associated with Central City. No 'and,' 'ifs,' or 'buts' about it. Events too numerous to count relied on the Flash existing in Central City.

Whoever this… lightning manipulator was… is…

He is someone that needs to be dealt with, personally.

"Gideon, can you detect his energy output?"

"Yes, User Thawne."

Eobard smirked before sitting down in his wheelchair. "Please keep me afloat about his power levels and tracking. I want to see if his lightning bolts can be used as a substitute for the Speed Force. If Barry Allen doesn't become the Flash any time soon, then alternate plans have to be made."

"How would you like me to classify said plans?"

Eobard couldn't help but laugh at what he was about to say, "Put them under Operation… Lightning Rod.'

* * *

 **Arrowcave**

"Oliver, I really don't think…"

"Please, Diggle… I just… I have to make sure. Thea?"

"I am calling him on Face Chat, give it a second."

Ring… Ring… Ring…

The camera turned on, showing Barry Allen at his lab, clothes not out place, not a bead of sweat on his head.

"Oh, hey guys! What's up?"

"Not much, Barry," answered Thea. "We got the live stream of the news of that holdup."

"Seriously? They showed it all the way in Starling?"

"Barry… it made NATIONAL news."

Barry couldn't help but whistle at Diggle's comment. "Seriously? Damn it, not even Oliver made national headlines."

"Speaking of which," interrupted Oliver. "I've made great… strains… to make sure I was recorded as little as possible whenever I was engaged in my… activities. The same can be said for anything I said."

"Your point?"

"The odds of another…. Vigilante," Barry and other can literally hear the strain in Oliver's voice trying to keep a straight face. "Appearing in another city and saying that someone has 'failed this city' – lines I know were never caught on film…

[Again, I am not a dedicated Arrow fan, I am not sure if this is true or not at this point in time of the show. He has said this to others, but never on camera. The odds those exact words were written in some police report are astronomical.]

"– lines I know were never caught on film – which is a shock in itself. I am certain that only eight people that I trust have heard me say those words in person, YOU being one of them. Is there anything you would like to tell us?"

One beat.

Two beat.

Three beat.

Four beat.

"To be completely fair, I did offer to help you guys out when Slade and his army attacked your city."

Roy's and Thea's heads bang into the table, Diggle facepalmed himself, Sarah couldn't help but chuckle, and Oliver had the most constipated look on his face imaginable before finally replying.

"This was NOT exactly how I expected you to help us out! If we knew you gained command over lightning…"

"Super-speed."

"Pardon?"

The Team watched in shock as Barry disappeared of the monitor with lightning in the foreground. Before anyone got a chance to ask, they heard a whoosh behind them.

Turning around, they saw a smirking Barry Allen stand behind them.

Diggle, bug-eyed, was first to stutter, "How… what…"

"Like I said – super-speed."

"But… the lightning… the wind…"

Barry raised his hand, showing everyone as it started to vibrate, generating the lightning shown on the news earlier, while simultaneously creating a small tornado by his rapidly spinning left hand.

"Oh that is so awesome," admitted Roy out loud.

Oliver rubbed his brow, "We're going to need coffee, aren't we?"

"Rum if you have any."

The Team looked at Barry in surprise.

"What? I developed a liking to it while training."

"There's a story to that comment," interjected Thea as she turned on the espresso machine she acquired for their late night in the hideout.

"Not really. It can basically be summed up by the accelerating exploding back in December."

* * *

 **I am going to say this right now.**

 **I do not apologize for what I wrote here.**

 **I have extreme writer's block for all my stories, and this story so far is the only 'crazy' outlet I have.**

 **On a related note, can someone message me someone villains that Flash can fight that aren't part of his Rogue's Gallery? Or at least villains who got their powers due to exposure to some foreign energies and the like?**

 **Trying to figure out enemies for Barry to fight is hard, mainly since the cartoon version of his villains were a joke in the 'Justice League' cartoon.**

 **Also, anyone knows how to classify this fic under the Justice League cartoon? I've looked, but I can't find it anywhere in the groupings and leaving it under 'DC' seems a little broad for the audience I am writing this for.**


	3. Someone Call for a Time Lord?

**So... Haven't done this story in a while.**

 **It's not that I got bored with it, but I was more focused on my 'One Piece' fic... and life... but mostly 'One Piece'.**

 **But as of late, this story has been picking up traction (as evident by the constant favorites alerts I keep getting) so I gave it another go.**

 **Still, I realise that I like working with a co-author, so I am actively looking for one for this story. Some requirements:**

 **1\. Good understanding of the DC Animated Universe (which includes** _Batman: The Animated Series,_ _ _Superman: The Animated Series_ , ___Static Shock_ , ___Justice League_ , and ___Justice League Unlimited__ ). **Some knowledge of other shows is preffered but not required.**

 **2\. Decent grasp on Arrowverse (with a focus on** _The Flash_ **and** _Arrow_ **) or a wiki/wikipedia.**

 **3\. DC knowledge a plus but not required.**

 **4\. Extensive writing skills and/or fanfic works not required. Main criteria is how much you can give as a writer via consistent contributions.**

 **Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

"So… just so that we are clear," Oliver started off – rubbing his forehead due to an oncoming headache - after the tale I told him and the Team. "You were exposed to some exotic energies released by the particle accelerator exploding via a condensed form of it in the shape of a lightning bolt."

"Yes."

"Which gave you super-speed."

"Yes."

"By connecting you to some extra-dimensional cosmic energy source called the Speed Force."

"Yes."

"Which is the _supposed_ source of power for all speedsters – past and future – and is _potentially_ the source of velocity and movement, as well as the thing that powers space and time forward. Which technically means you are not so much a speedster but more of a conduit for energy which **translates** in this plane of existence as speed."

"Yes, but that is debatable, mainly because I am new to this and because I haven't started messing around with it. However, standard weaknesses that apply to normal superhuman individuals who accelerate themselves to superhuman levels don't apply to me. This is because my powers are regulated by the Speed Force, which protects me by producing an aura that prevents powerful and devastating winds from forming when I reach high enough speeds. It also prevents friction from adhering to me and air particles from bombarding me to death under said speeds. Think of it as me having the required secondary powers that everyone else lacks."

"Of course, of course [you could taste the sarcasm]. Said Speed Force is also governed by some god-tier being – or beings - and have guardians that make sure no one screws with time."

"Yes, and they are called Time Wraiths. Completely justifiable, mind you: screwing with time is a big no-no. There supposedly also a Grim Reaper-like being who comes to… collect us… when our time comes, but I'm not sure if he exists yet. You know, what with time not being linear and all wibbly-wobbly in there- or is it out here? In any case, when you add in the fact that I can also hypothetically travel between realities, Multiverse Theory starts throwing the whole 'messing with time' concept out the window if each reality doesn't necessarily have one distinct linear timeline to follow."

"And you know all of this because…"

"I think the Speed Force is connected to me on some subconscious level. Has to be since I have no Earthly way to explain how I know how to use my powers and what not. It… whispers things to me. Tells me secrets and stuff. Things I shouldn't know, and things that I will or would know, some which should NEVER be mentioned unless extreme circumstances are met. Some stuff I just know, and some I have to think about to recall - like looking something up on Google. All in all, pretty neat – think of it like working for some top-notch government think tank with super benefits but with a VERY strict confidentiality contract."

"Wait, wait…You can see the future?"

I smirked. I was going to need a good excuse to explain away some of the stuff I plan to do in the future with the information I have.

The Madam Xanadu ruse will work here spectacularly.

"I mean, in the grand scheme of things, if every choice creates a splintered reality to one degree or another, it can't be called seeing the future since I am only seeing one of infinite possible futures. I think it's more along the lines of being aware of all the possibilities and determining the most likely one by checking the odds, but yeah, it – them? they? sticking with it - tells me things from time to time if I ask nicely."

"Like what?"

I decided to embrace the opportunity presented fully. Tilting my head to the side like an owl and allowing the Speed Force to glow in my eyes, I looked at Oliver.

Scared the shit out of everyone else.

Worth it.

"Moira betrayed you thrice over long before she betrayed the city. Samantha Clayton and Koizumi Hadachi… that is all I can say."

I turned to Diggle since Lyla wasn't there. "Sara Diggle or John Diggle, Jr. Choose wisely."

Diggle chuckled at that before the weight of the message settled, and panic hit him full force.

Next was Sarah. "Even one that is Black can become White, but not at the price of Lazarus."

That got a reaction out of her. Clearly, her League training exposed her to the information regarding the Pit. That or she was nearly one of Ra's casualties during his 'episodes' due to his semi-frequent treatments.

Next was Roy. I wasn't sure if she was a thing here, but better safe than sorry. "Beware the smiling jade Cheshire, for she brings you nothing but chaos."

Hopefully, that's enough to avoid Jade Nguyen. I know Roy Harper and her hooking up lead to them having a kid, but he has Thea.

Speaking of which.

"Beware of Al Sa-her, for even the mind is not out of reach for his magic hands."

That clearly got everyone here on edge for one simple reason: they never told me Malcolm's codename when he was in the League of Assassins.

Sarah regained her wits first after considering the applications of my ability. "Is there anything else you are… _allowed_ to know?"

Good. She gave me an opening. Maybe I can screw with them a bit.

I tilted my head to the other side.

"The Kiba no Hoko shall perish soon by the hands of the Bat."

Surprised me a little when both Sarah and Oliver reacted to that tidbit of info. Guess their teachers mentioned the 'Way of the Fang' in passing.

"The mechanical seeker of knowledge shall come to Earth soon, invited foolishly by the bald hypocrite, seeking to end the life of Metropolis's guardian."

That one was a little open to interpretation, but most prophecies usually are.

"The interest of Earth has risen in the galaxy. More and more visitors will come now, bringing with them whatever follows. But fear not, for the Guardians are watching and protecting."

Aliens are coming – not a big reveal.

"Someone's past shall come upon this city, for Brother Eye's betrayal will run deep. If you don't seek the aid of the Calculator's daughter, then search for Mr. Terrific during the time of charity."

Yeah, it turns out the Michael Holt of this reality was more in line with his comic counterpart than in the show. Don't recall if he was a freelance consultant-esque genius in the comics, but his wife and child have died already as did his disabled brother.

Don't know why they made him Curtis in the show, but he is as close to source material as he can get in this reality.

14 PH.D and all.

Yes, he has 14 Doctorates to his name.

Only third smartest man on the planet my ass.

Anyway…

"The Alpha and Omega shall combine once more, by the hands of Vitura shall events unfold."

A little up to debate since Malcolm doesn't have easy access to Thea to mind control her, but still possible.

The near catatonic look Oliver had confirmed he understood what I was talking about.

"Fear Cupid, for she has her eyes on the Arrow, and the Canary is in her way."

Carrie Cutter is still possible, and since Sarah is currently in a relationship with Oliver, it will be a catfight for the ages. Hopefully, the fact I said 'she' and not 'he' gives it away.

"Do not fear the A.T.O.M, for the knight that wears it is on the side of heroes if misguided by his nature."

Ray did get knighted by Queen Guinevere of Camelot, so it's a double whammy if Ray ever finds out what I said about him.

I noticed the confusion on everyone's face since they didn't hear the capitalization and didn't know Palmer yet.

"If the Demon's Head decides to come, then the Crescent Order's Lotus one should find. For only the cure to everlasting life shall guard against the killers' wrath."

Well, assassins are killers, but the Demon's Head reference gave it away to both Oliver and Sarah. Don't know if they know about the order, but hopefully, it's enough to satiate them… for now.

Still, I doubt that it will lead to Ra's death – too popular to die this early on.

"Vertigo, Vertigo, Vertigo… Just how many Counts are there to get my head so twisted and confused?"

This one was just for fun.

I checked, and it turns out that Princess Perdita of Vlatava was real, meaning that the 'DC Showcase: Green Arrow' may happen here.

Don't know who they will hire to assassinate her though.

Okay, I've given them enough to work with, time for the show stopper.

I turned suddenly – I was walking around in a trance before – looking directly at Team for this reveal, finger pointing ominously.

"Beware… Beware the Darhk man. The Heir to the Demon returns from hiding once more, his H.I.V.E at his beck and call. He has a Ghost at his command, one who is a wound for one of you. Seek out the occult dick when the time comes and not before, for only he knows how to stop his conquest."

That last line flew over people's head – for most of them. Oliver couldn't help but swear.

Oh yeah, he remembered Constantine.

To complete, I turned off the glowing eyes and staggered a bit. "Woah… that took a little out of me."

I even staggered into a chair to complete the illusion.

"That...was not fun…" I wheezed, whipping off the imaginary sweat out of my head. "Not doing that any time soon."

"Too tiring?" Roy asked in worry, looking pensive as if trying to recall if he ever met anyone in green that matched what I said.

Wrong version of green. But seeing as he works in a club named Verdant…

"No - just too much to see. You have to understand, even if the timelines don't necessarily work as advertised, just focusing on you lot gave me too many possibilities."

"How so?" Sarah inquired as she sat in the other chair. "And what do you mean not as advertised? You mentioned something about decision and multiverse, but that flew over my head."

Seeing the collective nods of everyone else, I decided to elaborate the best I could.

"Well… Do you know the basic premise of the Multiverse Theory? That for every decision there must be a reality where an opposite choice was made?"

Collective nods of understanding from everyone, even Thea.

"Well, while the Universe is infinite, the notion that every decision from every being from every corner of existence can be significant enough to warrant a whole other linear continuity is just ludicrous. Free will is one thing, but infinity – even in a hypothetical setting – is not a notion one ever wishes to push upon."

"So, what? Decisions don't matter in the whole scheme of things?" Diggle asked with amusement and undertone of worry.

I waved my hand side to side, "It is more reasonable to say that the truly insignificant decisions all coalesce back together into one string, kind of evening out and reducing on space. This is not to say that they completely merge - some MINOR difference do exist. However, there are situations where one minor change from one seemingly insignificant individual can have significant or even reality altering implications."

The team looked at each other warily, but Oliver picked up the baton. "Like what?"

"Well, real-life example? You killing Officer Daily would have created SIGNIFICANT differences, the least of which would be the city being significantly more destroyed."

"The LEAST of which?" Roy replied in shock. "The hell could have been worse?"

I gave him the 'haunted look,' "You don't want to know."

Thea raised her hands, "I think we are getting off topic here. The main thing we should be considering is - what now? What do we do with this?"

Everyone looked at each other, pondering the same thing.

Oliver gave me a look, and I just shrugged, "Allies who call on each other if a situation arises?"

"We stick to our towns?"

I smiled and put out my hand, "Deal."

Oliver shook on it, "Deal."

Sarah sighs, "Men."

* * *

 _Sometime later…_

"Creator Barry?"

I looked up from the laptop monitor, "I thought we talked about this Gideon, just call me Barry."

"Forgive me, Barry, but I have a query?"

I moved away from the desk as I went to check his lab results on the Mirakuru I was testing. Being a forensic scientist in a police precinct had its benefits. "Shoot."

"Why have you asked me to monitor the 'creation' of villains but not do anything about it?"

I put down the beaker, "That's a rather loaded question but at the same time one that has a rather obvious answer."

"That being?"

"Free-will."

"Pardon? What does free will have to do with preventing the birth of super villains that can have devastating effects on their environment or world as a whole?"

That was a decent point… from a machine without a clear 'imaginary' understanding of the future.

The Barry that existed may have been good at coding and creating artificial intelligence, but the technological limitations of the time period would prevent Gideon from having the capability to 'think outside the box.'

"Okay, I guess I'll address the obvious elephant in the room: I don't want to mess with time."

Gideon's face - which was currently displayed on the monitor - looked at me in surprise. "But you have already…"

"Changed minor things. Altering small details people ignore as long as the main point is achieved? Sure. Preventing an individual from becoming a person who may or may not have a significant impact on the future as a whole? Yeah, no, not messing with that. Secondly, free-will is freedom of choice. Choices that people have made and will make again which define individuals. As such, knowing how they behave in the established future I can glean from what is available, I would rather keep things as close as possible to the original so that IF a situation arises where interference is necessary, I can plan and predict the outcome within reason. Does that satisfy your inquiry?"

Gideon looked conflicted. "That is… acceptable."

"You seem uncertain."

"These people still become - as labeled by the populace - supervillains, people who cause untold property damage and harm, even take lives of innocent civilians."

"As heartless and callous as it sounds, everyone dies eventually, and I can't save everyone. I also have no compunctions to play God and declare Death an enemy. But more importantly, can you honestly say that the villains that permeate the articles of news agencies are more dangerous than any other terrorist or individual who works from the shadows like Ra's al Ghul or Brother Blood?"

Gideon raised a brow. "Please elaborate."

I rolled back to the desk. "Certainly. Give me the recent supervillains that 'formed.'"

Gideon pulled up two news articles from Metropolis. "I have one Rudy Jones and John Corben…"

"Ah, Parasite and Metallo. Okay, they are supervillains in title only, never doing more than the minimum to maintain the titles. If anything, the two just happen to get the unfortunate luck-of-the-draw more than winding up in the roles."

Gideon paused, waiting for more.

"Okay, let's take Rudy first. Guy had one bad break after another, is convinced by Martin Lebeau to steal barrels of a purple chemical from the facility he works as a janitor for one reason or another. While transporting them in the back of a truck, the barrels weren't tied down and ultimately spill their contents all over Rudy and transform him into the Parasite, who nearly kills Lebeau with his new energy-draining abilities until Superman intervenes later on. Parasite then drains a substantial amount of energy from Superman and discovers that he got his powers, going on a citywide 'rampage' in a fit of somewhat joyful hysteria. Considering he was always looked down and 'stepped on' and now could suddenly do the 'stepping,' some childish glee – even if illegal – and rampage can be explained in his current state of psyche. Eventually, things happen and he gets arrested and locked in a room as a partial amnesiac, from which he has recovered and has not asked for anything more than some entertainment and meals."

"'Rampage' sir?"

I actually couldn't hide my anger from that. "How Louis Lane got away with that little lie is beyond me. If you look at the hard data from the days Rudy 'rampaged,' he did not kill anyone. Extensive property damage from his escapades and robberies - most covered by insurances and whatnot - as well as minor injuries from circumstances outside of his control within the sphere of events. If anything, Louis turned what most would consider a super-powered adult drunk or drugged out of his mind causing something akin to public indecency into what comes off as a possibly a deranged sociopath who enjoys carnage."

"That is not what is written…"

"But it is what is **implied**. The moment that the 'supervillain' label was written, she had reduced and stigmatized Rudy to a stereotype, one that he may never be able to escape from and that will force him to commit more heinous acts in the future because he will be convinced and forced by others to be so than out of free-will."

Gideon looked up the necessary files. "That… is what the future suggests."

I nodded. "Frankly, a good life coach and some meetings from a psychologist or two can turn him into a productive member of society since he has a chance at redemption."

"And John Corben?"

"Now he is a different story. He may be an unrepentant English criminal-for-hire, but you also have to remember that he was driven insane by the sensory deprivation induced by his android body, one which was specifically designed by Lex Luthor to combat Superman. The same Luthor who gave him the disease which caused Corben to seek out Luthor for treatment and led to his birth as Metallo. Yes, he is a villain, but one that can be significantly crippled if someone gives him another human body. Hell, he may even WILLINGLY surrender and turn himself in whenever he appears again just to gain a chance at normalcy."

"So… Metallo is a villain?"

"Yes, but not one by TRUE choice and one who can be rehabilitated in the best of circumstances, or at least defanged by the more technologically advanced and well hearted of individuals, such as Bruce Wayne," I concluded as I looked over the raw data from the chemical analyses of Mirakuru.

Gideon didn't ask anything for a long time after that, so I continued to work until she finally settled on a question.

"What do you consider a true villain then?"

"One who has absolutely no wish to repent or change their ways. Killing indiscriminately being the obvious prerequisite for a villain."

"Such as?"

"Well, personally? Top of my list would be the Joker."

Gideon nodded. "Agreed. You have made your point about him very clear. Is anyone in Arkham considered the same?"

"No, too many in Arkham are there for legitimate mental reasons that give them a CHANCE at redemption. Most, however, are just lucky they barely avoided the death penalty due to insanity."

And wasn't that a particular kick in the pants. You had to wonder how the hell someone like the Joker has avoided the chair or gas chamber so long since it existed in this universe.

Hell, when Clark Kent was 'killed' by a corrupt cop who framed someone else to the chamber, he got the chamber in turn when everything came to light. Clearly, the people in this reality aren't lax about sending someone to the gallows. Because seriously, unlike most of Batman's Rogues Gallery, the Joker has killed… A LOT… WITHOUT ANY REASON… OTHER THEN SHITS AND GIGGLES.

Really got to figure out where I stand in the future about that issue when questioned by the press.

Gideon's alarms went off. I looked in concern. "Something I should know?"

"Brainiac has betrayed Lex Luthor. He is currently flying his ship into the dessert…."

"To being gathering information on Earth to 'download.' Yes, I am aware of the details from your files," I stated as I got up and started to clean up my workspace speedily. "Now this here is an opportunity to make a change to the timeline without affecting it as a whole."

"I need your input here, Barry, for I don't see what kind of change can be made without affecting the timeline anymore then already…" Gideon started off before I interrupted.

"You have reports in which Superman stated that Brainiac had shown him a room full of information orbs of civilization he had 'downloaded,' right?"

"Affirmative."

"But the only one that Superman took was the one for Krypton - what about the rest? The ones lost when Brainiac's ship exploded?"

"They were… lost?" Gideon asked, having realized what I was planning.

"Fun fact – unless an account is specifically written about an event in the past, it is rather malleable to temporal shenanigans. While I doubt it's everything the AI has gathered, it's still a rather large collection of alien knowledge. Knowledge that can be used and won't be noticed missing," I argued.

Gideon considered this revelation of interfering with time without altering it. "Your explanation is acceptable. The risk is manageable. What exactly do you plan to do, Barry?"

I couldn't help but smile. "Why, a little high-speed robbery of course."

* * *

 _Later…._

"Thank God we added the color changing aspect to this suit," I said more to myself then Gideon listening in as I stood on a mountain, watching Superman fly into Brainiac's ship. "Who knows how much I would have stood out in red."

"Please remember Barry, the suit can only blend into the environment so quickly by changing colors before it can no longer keep up with your relativistic speeds," Gideon said into my earpiece, something I made on the side.

While no more advanced than the usual thing given to agents and the like, the fact it operated on a completely untraceable frequency made it useful.

"I only need it before I make way into the ship. Speaking of…"

"I have managed to make my way into the ship's network," Gideon stated, strain evident in her voice. "However, I can not override Brainiac's control."

"But you can take control temporarily?"

"Affirmative. While his ship is more advanced than anything currently available on Earth, my infrastructure and intelligence outpaces him and his systems. I am currently in all of the ships major systems, hiding as background data, waiting for the chance to take over."

"Good," I nodded. For something supposedly only two decades ahead in Earth's future to state something like that means that Brainiac must have been getting by simply because he was an AI.

Say what you will, but having a computer for a brain is an advantage only for so long.

While I doubt that this universe had the same views on VI and AI as say the people in the 'Mass Effect' Universe, there must be a reason for how Brainiac managed to survive for so long and constantly rebuild his forces.

No way in hell is something like a machine destroying planets NOT get noticed by other space-faring civilizations.

Maybe the Guardians of the Universe prevented any more research into AI across sectors under their watch after the whole Manhunter fiasco? Feasible, and valid reason for cyber-security not being up to standard.

Seeing as Kryptonians were rather isolationist, it also stands to reason that they wouldn't be monitored as closely and had the window of freedom to create something like Brainiac, ahead of the galactic curve as it were.

Food for thought.

"Sir," Gideon interrupted me.

"Yes, Gideon?"

"Superman is currently tied-down and resisting Brainiac. Observation indicate that he shall soon break out and fight him."

 _Showtime._

I pressed the chest symbol, causing my suit to go into 'camouflage mode' as I readied myself. "Time parameters?"

"Minutes sir."

I sighed as I started spinning my hands and creating wind funnels, propelling me at speeds that I hoped wouldn't be spotted by Lex Luther's men or by Brainiac. "Gideon, at the ready. When the first explosion occurs, initiate full take over."

"Yes, sir. Your plans?"

I maintained decent speed as I was maybe yards away from the ship. "Make sure there is some sort of receptacle nearby in which I can store the spheres and remove them from the ship afterward."

Gideon paused. "Valid receptacle found. Everything being prepared. Superman resistance verified. Activity in 3...2…."

 **BOOM!**

 _And the horses are off to the races, folks!_

I quickly propelled myself into the ship, a door immediately opening for me to enter through.

Slipping _slightly_ into Flash Time - can it be called that if I am only accelerating my perception of the world? - as I rapidly found the room. Having already gotten the directions from Gideon saved me the necessary seconds in the heist as I made my way into the giant chamber.

Lacking time to take everything in, I quickly spotted the receptacle waiting for me.

Or rather, receptacles.

 _Oh for God sake Gideon…_

Floating in the air for me were four rather large robot torsos. On a secondary glance, I realized they looked like the robotic helpers that are usually found in Superman's Fortress of Solitude. Considering that the Fortress is Kryptonian in origin like Brainiac, I was willing to bet that these robot designs were the norm.

These chassis, however, were militarized.

Question for later.

Noting their opening chest cavities, I started shoving the orbs into them, making sure to leave the Kryptonian one for Superman to save.

As I finished up, I called up Gideon. "Time?"

"Sooner… then later… Barry…. Brainiac has… noticed us…. resisting… cameras…." strained Gideon.

 _Shit._

"You four! Off the ship! Double Time!" I commanded.

Rather than fly off, the four compacted themselves as much as possible.

 _Why the hell… Oh right! Faster than them and easier to carry._ I thought in surprise.

With no time to waste - more and more of the ship exploding around me - I barely had enough time to run back and forth from the gallery and my earlier entrance to toss the robots off the ship.

Hope they are sturdy.

I managed to leave the gallery with the last robot just as I spotted Superman entering from the other end.

Well, less enter and more like make another hole in the thick metal sheeting.

Sturdy headed bastard.

Still, I wasn't spotted, which is good and dandy.

* * *

I watched from the ground as the ship landed and exploded, producing a giant mushroom cloud in the distance.

"Gideon, fallout?" I inquired in worry.

"Negative. The ship used a nuclear fusion engine to produce a clean source of energy. No radiation fall out is detected. All systems whipped of code and short-circuited before I exited. Odds of any system remaining for study? Unlikely." Gideon replied.

"Good - small mercies. Did Brainiac download himself into the LexCorp computers?"

"Yes," Gideon said with hesitation. "Is this also part of your belief of maintaining the timeline?"

I nodded to no one, "Yes. Too many events in the future rely on that piece of Brainiac existing. Besides, we know where he is, and we know the actions he will commit since his behavior subroutines are hardcoded into his being. Unless something significantly changes in the future, he is a nonentity. However…"

"Yes?"

"He didn't do anything to you, did he?" I asked with worry, not wishing to lose Gideon to his machinations.

I've grown fond of her.

"Do not fear, Barry," Gideon stated as she normally would, but even then the smile could be heard when she replied. "While he may have sensed my intrusion, I doubt he understood who or what I was, as he was preoccupied at the time."

I sighed in relief, "Yeah, fighting Superman will do that." I faced the four robots who did, in fact, come out unscathed from their toss and drop. "All right, let's get James, Lars, Kirk, and Robert back home… wherever that may be in the future. I **really** need to find a place for myself."

"Why those names?"

"Pardon?"

"Why those particular names for the robots?" Gideon asked with evident confusion.

"Oh, they are all named after the members of Metallica. You know, because they are made of metal and all."

'Tis was the day I heard Gideon face palm herself over the earpiece, having created the voice file just for the occasion.

God I love technology.

* * *

 _Days pass…._

"Thank God this apartment was up for sale," I smiled while superspeed all my stuff around, putting them into their place.

Needed to get the feng-shui just right.

Plus, you know, good angle to watch 4K movies from the couch or kitchen.

Shelf space – a must for any horder and bibliophile.

How I managed to find the same apartment that Barry and Iris moved into on the show was beyond me.

It was nice, but it was WAY out of the price range for a journalist and a forensic scientist.

Or it would have been had I not managed to make extra money.

See, Gideon was only instructed not to divulge future knowledge to me or anyone else unless it was truly pertinent. There was nothing about me requesting Gideon to use said future knowledge to mess around with the stock market and make money on the side.

She tried arguing since, again, messing with time, but since the information was being kept in a closed system - i.e., her - and no human factor was in play - i.e., me - then this was basically a black-box scenario in which no one but the user - i.e., her - could divulge the info or exploit it in any way other than requested.

And since she was the most advanced piece of technology currently on the planet, the odds of that particular kernel of information getting out were close to nil.

So yeah, I was loaded now.

Which was a good thing considering the new expenses.

"Is the set up to your liking guys?"

The rescued robots were currently converting the extra bedroom into a high tech storage processing center for Gideon.

Not unlike the room Eobard has hidden in the labs, but less 'Psycho' feels to it, you know?

It looked sort of like a weird mix of something out of 'The Matrix' - because of the large and multiple monitors constantly streaming data - and a command chair in some futuristic sci-fi game.

It was both retro and advanced, an odd mixture that somehow worked.

That or it looked like a recording room for a YouTube content creator who had money to splurge.

Hard to say with the wall colors.

One of the robots eye-monitors changed colors - from yellow to blue - before replying. "The technology, while not what I expected, has enough processing power to meet my needs."

"Hey, I told you the PS4 was powerful," I shrugged.

"Indeed. Thankfully, you buying them across the states and under aliases has prevented anyone from noticing the odd bulk purchase. Why again, did we do that?" Gideon asked quizzically as the other three continued welding and finalizing the systems.

"Well, I doubt anyone high up in the tech world wouldn't be tracking large purchases of these things. I mean, can you imagine a hundred of these used by a hacker-collective to do their heavier calculating and processing needs? Speaking of which…"

Gideon's face appeared on the largest monitor, smirking in all her glory. "As you requested, I have dialed down on my, as you called it, 'escapades in trolling the world.'"

I sighed. "As long as your shenanigans stick to the digital world and at least avoid national scrutiny, I have no issues with that."

Gideon nodded. "Acceptable. Still, to pass the time, I have made some new friends."

 _Oh God no… It's like raising a kid…._

"Dare I ask?" I asked in resignation, knowing that she was copying my more _dubious_ qualities.

"Richard Foley, Barbara Gordon, Dick Grayson, Tim Drake, Edward Nygma, and Donald Hall to name a few."

"So wait… Gear, Batgirl, Robin, Robin AGAIN, Riddler, and - I don't know, who's the last one?" I asked hesitantly.

"Donald Hall is the civilian identity of Dove."

I tapped my head in thought. "Dove, Dove…. wait, the pacifist of the Dove and Hawk duo?"

"He has interesting opinions on certain topics in the discussion and debate forums." Gideon smiled.

"And the rest, never mind the fact that they have yet become famous for, are for, you know, the OBVIOUS reasons?"

Gideon smirked just widened. "True, but they are unchallenged academically that they are bound to be bored. Richard - despite the fact he has yet to be exposed to the gas - has already displayed necessary computer expertise as evident by our chats on the Dark Web. Same for Barbara - not that she visits the Dark Web of course. No, we met online as she was trying to prepare herself for college. Dick Grayson, well, he has always been a gamer. And poor little Tim is so bored in school that he managed to hack their Wi-Fi signal to skirt their blocks - such ingenuity should be fostered, not hindered."

"Well, Ra's did always call Tim 'The Detective' among them all. What about Jason Todd… you know what, I don't want to know! Better that I don't. And Riddler?"

There her smile faltered a little. "I am trying to see if I can implement your consideration regarding 'redemption' of certain 'supervillains.'"

My brows raised as I sat in the command chair. "Okay, this I got to hear. Explain your reasoning."

A picture of Riddler - dressed to the nines in a green suit - being arrested for the virtual reality game fiasco came up.

Yes, I had officially thrown conventional timeline progression out the window when I realized that the normal cartoon episode broadcast order was REALLY not linear or properly paced when applied to this world.

As far as I was concerned, better to just ignore conventional reasons and earmark certain events and hope they occur. Better than wasting my time trying to anticipate certain behaviors.

As far as I could gather, only Oliver seemed to be progressing as expected.

But more on that later.

"Edward Nygma, in the near future, will receive his closest chance at reforming when his 'image' is brought out by a toy company for who he starts creating games and related paraphernalia."

"Yes, but that isn't any time soon."

Gideon agreed on the screen as the news article was removed. "Correct. But that is not to say that such a method wouldn't have been successful had proper safeguards been in place."

"You mean one for dealing with Riddler's obsession with outsmarting and defeating Batman? Well, I can admit that there could have been HEALTHIER alternatives to challenging the Batman other than immediately resorting to crime. But it's not like the man has time to spare to visit Edward and play games of wits with him time and again."

At that Gideon smiled. "But what if Edward's infatuation with proving himself superior to others was addressed? What if even someone replaced Batman as his worthy challenge in intellect? Or better yet, what if that mind of his was used to solve issues that Batman couldn't?"

"Well… Each point has its merits. What was his reason for an infatuation with riddles?"

"A combination of a less-than-intelligent father combined with constant positive reinforcement from solving challenges and puzzles when in the more formative years layered with impatience of people being unable to solve the challenges he presented them."

 _Huh… so a good chunk of the more gothic Riddler's backstory except without creating the brain-enhancing chips. Should look into that though…. "_ Explains the desire to leave clues and riddles. But based on that description, that particular avenue may be rather difficult, since he sees creating and solving puzzles in a positive light."

"True, which is why I was leaning toward the latter two points."

"What, you want to become Riddle's new challenger?"

Gideon smiled faltered at that. "That particular option is less desirable. While my processing power would allow me to keep up with him, his insistent desire to learn who has been beating him over digital outlets may force him to try to locate me in the physical world, which I do not desire. No, it is better to approach him from the toy path but supplement it with other outlooks to display his brilliance. I believe that the literary world has shown as that consulting detectives suffer similar problems."

That was not what I expected to hear. "I'm sorry, my ears must have blown. Are you telling me that you want to turn Edward Nygma - the Riddler - into the new Sherlock Holmes?"

"Are the parallels not evident? A genius individual with mental issues who need minders to alleviate their boredom - usually with cases and weird experiments - to prevent them from falling into darker ends of human behavior."

"Well, when you put it like that… Plus, he may appreciate the comparison, what with Batman always called the 'World's Greatest Detective'…"

Really, when putting it like that, Nygma did have a decent chance at reform. His genius and lateral thinking gave Batman a run for his money and that kind of ingenuity on the side of heroes...

"If I agree to this, what exactly do you plan to do?"

"Something similar that occurred originally. I will, however, begin to make my presence to Riddler known slowly and gradually over the periods he is online so that when he is allowed out of Arkham, my opinion will hold sway. I plan to ensure that he doesn't titter off the path of recovery by planting the notion of becoming Sherlock Holmes into his psyche before he even considers blowing up the warehouse with Batman."

"Fair enough - no safe should possibly be THAT sturdy in an explosion. You plan to buy shares in the toy company before then?"

And the smile returned. "Barry, I am an AI, not stupid. I'll take any chance to make extra capital if the opportunity arises."

Pause.

"I am starting to question your sense of humor."

"The internet is a dark place," laughed Gideon. "Also, Bruce Wayne has just boarded his private plane - direct flight to Japan."

"Ah, then it seems that Kyodai Ken's days are finally numbered. Thank God it's the weekend."

"Please remember that at your current top speeds it will take you…"

I waved my hand without concern. "Yeah, yeah, I'll listen to music on the run."

* * *

 _FUCK._ I should have remembered that the music player only worked last time because I was in Flash Time.

Running for almost TWO HOURS to Japan was not a good place to be left alone with nothing but your thoughts.

No way in hell did Barry do the same thing in seconds when he was in Iron Heights, experience be damned.

I get plot convenience, but I call BULLSHIT!

Still, it gave me time to consider some of Batman's Rogues Gallery and who had an actual chance at rehabilitation.

Harley Quinn was a possibility, but she needed to be removed from the Joker for an extended period for it to lock in. That or see him at his worst.

Hyenas are always an option as therapy animals.

Mr. Freeze needs a cure for his condition - as well as Nora's - so that's an easier one to resolve. Better not to leave it on the backburner for too long, no need for him to lose his body and become just a head.

Same can be said for Harvey Dent. One long and grilling facial reconstruction surgery and most of his recovery will be complete. Granted, he would still need to serve time, but a small price to pay considering all potential damages he could do in the future had he remained Two-Face.

Always the bigger picture.

Clayface… Now there was a debatable case. And a rather screwed up one at that.

See, from what I recall, the original Matt Hagen was a treasure hunter who got his powers from a secret - and I kid you not - mysterious radioactive pool of protoplasm in a cave.

Yeah, the Silver Age of Comic Books was WEIRD.

Basil Karlo, however, was the B-list actor who later gained powers similar to the version shown in the cartoon, if not a stronger variant.

The cartoon depiction was so popular that when Basil was eventually reimagined in the comics, his origins became that of this Matt Hagen, even down to the involvement of Roland Daggett and a chemical to make the skin malleable like clay due to his face being ruined in an accident.

His story was made darker and grimmer, of course: Basil disfigured his ex-girlfriend in rage for leaving him after his injury and transformation was exposed.

Still, Matt has the potential for recovery. It seemed like every time Matt was broken apart - which happened twice in the show (once due to chemicals and another time by rain) - all his mental recovery would degrade, and he would succumb to crime once more. Considering the man would have to rebuild himself from who knows how many loose parts, it was bound that SOME pieces would remain lost. And if his being was tied to his clay, well… the chunks mean something more than just clay then. The sheer fact he managed to maintain some coherence of identity - clay daughter not included - is a small miracle.

Penguin… he was never insane, and he has already started building the Iceberg Lounge so too late there. But he was more neutral evil, so he can be left alone for now.

Scarecrow - yeah no, NEXT! Man gets his jollies from scaring people with hallucinogens.

Same for the Mad Hatter - his 'Alice' has married and changed states, but he is still tracking her down. Men like him NEED to be locked up.

Man-Bat is not a villain, so ignoring him.

Bane… no, he is a mercenary for hire, he has made his choice.

Killer Croc... Out of all the characters I expected to diverge from their animated roots, him I didn't consider. Unlike the others, this Killer Croc was based on the later 'Batman' cartoon with the more jester-looking Joker. His more reptilian and crocodile-like green appearance is the perfect indication of this. Which means he has a Cajun accent, wasn't an idiot, was significantly larger and stronger, and more importantly, trained. The series never made it clear how he got this ap[pearance, but based on what Gideon managed to gather, he used to be human, he served in some higher up branch of the military, before SOMEHOW becoming the way he was now.

He still became a wrestler under a fake name and got mixed up with Bullock - hence the 'Vendetta' episode recap - but the details were different. In this reality, Croc got in the crosshairs of a corrupt SWAT team in Florida, which got him arrested. Yes, the incident got the team in deep water as well, but a few managed to slip through that net. When he got out, Croc started hunting those men down for the crimes they committed - there were covered up murders of circus 'freaks' that Croc knew - and Bullock got roped in because he was tangentially involved with the case.

Unfortunately, the damage was done by then. Croc's appearance became common knowledge and he was stigmatized. The only way he can get a chance of changing that image is if someone gave him a push in the right direction, and no way is Batman giving him one. Still… he hasn't done anything big since then or gone cannibal….

You know what? If he doesn't pull off the 'Flooding Shopping District' heist that he did in the cartoon any time soon, I'll give him a way to contact Atlantis. Folks there won't find someone of his appearance that odd.

Arnold Wesker recovered on his own with the help of the Arkham's doctor - as odd as it seems - so all that matters is making sure that the goons don't break him when the moment arises or get him his doll back.

Catwoman is a professional thief, not committed. Besides, she is more hero than villain, so I'd classify her as a neutral character.

And finally Poison Ivy. If there was ever a villain who got a particularly bad hand - not comparing or anything - it would be her. The things Dr. Jason Woodrue did to her were unspeakable… They never did make a coherent reason as to how she suddenly gained command over plants when the cartoon made its transition in art style.

GUESS WHAT! Reality did it for them.

Considering the psycho used the same research that made Alec Holland into Swamp Thing, it's no wonder Pamela has a bastardized connection to the Green. But still, constantly returning to Gotham rather than elsewhere to do Gaia's work can't be healthy to her.

Huh… now there's a thought. Find Harley and Pamela, drag them to Themyscira, and leave them on an island full of warrior woman to recuperate. Diana gets more insight into man's world, Harley is removed from Joker, and Pamela remains on unpolluted land and earth blessed by the Gods.

Got to figure out the logistics of that though…

"Barry, you're entering the waters of Japan," spoke Gideon into my ear. Thank you satellite connection.

"Thank you. Now, which way is Mount Kajiki?"

"Due west. Remember, we have no idea where the cave with the scroll for the Kiba no Hoko is located, nor how fragile it is. Please be as delicate as possible if you wish to preserve the teachings."

"Got it. Hopefully, this won't take long. Shouldn't be that hard to find the right cave entrance."

* * *

 _5 hours later (travel back included)_

"DAMN IT MURPHY!" I shouted to no one in Gideon's room, watching as the system was compiling the scans and pictures I took.

Gideon face smiled on the monitor, "For a centuries-old scroll, the paper was remarkably well preserved."

"Not anymore it isn't. Once I was done with it, I sealed it up and shook the box like there was no tomorrow. If that didn't accelerate the rate of decay, then simply exposing it to the environment would have destabilized it. If Kyodai still manages to get the piece with the Death Touch, it will be a small miracle."

"Yes… this 'Way of the Fang' is a unique martial arts style," spoke the AI as the progress bar was nearing completion.

"You figure it out yet?" I asked, honestly curious.

"If the historical accounts are correct and this style was indeed created 500 years ago, then its creator was either a prodigy or just very diligent in perfecting it. And I do not use the latter in a positive connotation."

Not good. "Please explain Gideon."

"The Ki Lines (Currents of Life Force) that are mentioned here are more like intersections of chakra points, nerve clusters, and the circulatory system. However, such intersections would be different for every individual, mainly due to gender, age, and body type. Yes, there are patterns to them, and there are notes here for techniques to determine them by sight and touch, but that only paints a grimmer picture for finalizing this style. To have cataloged them all would have either required a lot of trial and error or an understanding of the human body to such a degree - centuries ahead of the time, I might add - that the user could predict the points on an instinctual level."

I couldn't help but laugh, "Sounds something like the Gentle Fist Style."

"Cross-referencing… Yes, the analogy works rather well, but with Ki Lines instead of an actual Chakra Pathway System. The number of points here does add up to 361 however, but in any case, there seems to be an element missing."

"Are we talking magic or something more esoteric like chi?" I asked.

Normally, arguing magic with a machine would have gone nowhere, but since Gideon was from the future and has the likes of Zatanna and Constantine in her records, it was a moot point.

"The best way I can describe it is that there seems to be some missing element to all of this, one most likely past down by word of mouth from son to son by the family."

I shrugged. "That or it is the 'hidden power within humans' that all the movie martial art sages mention."

Gideon tilted her hand. "Not impossible. Monks have been shown to do feats beyond human limitations."

"Are we talking regular monks or the ones hidden in Nanda Parbat?"

Again, thank heavens this is more cartoon than the show, or else that would have been Ra's base and not a hidden monetary of super-monks with Deadman among them.

Gideon smirked, "Yes."

"Spoilsport. Still, leave that research on the backburner for now. Not like I'll need it any time soon."

"Speaking of which," Gideon stated as a live feed of the news was brought up. "I believe that Central City's newest superhero is needed."

"Just what I need to unwind," I noted how many people were involved before smirking. "Gideon, you have eyes on Wells, correct?"

"User Wells is currently in STAR Labs with Caitlyn and Cisco watching the news. Should I record their reactions for some reason?"

"Well… I feel like trolling Eobard a little. Besides, need to even the odds somehow."

* * *

 _Downtown_

"YEAH! BURN, BABY, BURN!" shouted a figure made of fire as an inferno was blasting from his hands, melting the vehicles in their path and frightening everyone away from the bank.

"Singe, rear back on the flames man, I can feel you through my armor," shouted a second figure which looked more like a giant golem then an actual person.

As Singe flames began to recede, a more humanoid figure laughed as he landed on the pavement, "Come on Antaeus, loosen up a little, just having a little fun."

The golem's earth like skin receded around the face, revealing a man of Mediterranean descent. "Well, I would like to remain whole and not crispy-fried when this is all other. Now how long is Zephyr going to take in there?"

"Calm down man, your brother is gathering the money and should be out right about…."

The doors of the bank were blown open, and nearly off their hinges as bags of money were tossed outside, followed immediately by a small moving hurricane with a masked figure in the center. "Done. Ay bro, hide the face, man. We are incognito here."

"Oh right," stated Antaeus as his stone form locked up again. "What about Singe?"

"You think the camera over there can pick out his features while he got his flame on?" Zephyr stated as he waved to the line of police cars, armed cops, and cameraman on the sidelines.

"Still, better not push our luck," Singe stated as he walked up and grabbed a bag, turning off his flaming hand doing so. "Let's get out of here before…"

 _CRACK!_

"THE FUCK?!" shouted Antaeus, his friends shouting something similar as they started to look around for the source of the noise.

Hearing the cops cars and radios start to static and shrill, Zephyr was first to spot the clouds. "Oh no…"

Singe and Antaeus were quick to join in panic when they realized the dark clouds were coming closer. "SHIT! GET THE BAGS! WE GOT TO RUN BEFORE…."

" _Too late,"_ spoke a voice through the radios, before a thunderbolt struck the ground, revealing a red dressed figure.

"Damn, it is Thunder!" shouted Singe.

"Quick, Zephyr!"

"On it bro!" Zephyr took the initiative and ran forward before pushing both arms forward, producing dual wind hurricanes.

Thunder - to his shock - reacted by raising only one arm and producing a similar funnel of wind. However, as shown by the fact that it immediately bulldozed through Zephyr's and blasted him back into his cohorts, he was outmatched.

"Really? Thunder? Who gave me that name?" Thunder asked as he pinched his nose.

"CAT GRANT DID!" shouted one of the cameramen behind him.

Thunder turned to the source, "Thank you! To be fair, it fits considering how I travel."

Thunder turned back to the trio before pausing and standing still.

Singe was first to recover as he noted Thunder's apprehension. "What, too afraid to face the three of us, amigo?" Shouted the man as his hands and hands reignited.

Thunder just chuckled, "No, just waiting for you guys to start singing 'September.'"

* * *

Robin looked up at a smirking Bruce, "What's he talking about? 'September'?"

"I believe now is a good time as to introduce your ward to the wonders of 70's music, Master Wayne," Alfred replied lackluster as he walked away from a conflicted Bruce, smirking once his back was turned.

* * *

Louis, Clark, and Perry White were all snickering while Jimmy Olsen looked around the room in confusion. "I don't get it."

"Before your time kid," Perry smiled as he wiped away a tear.

* * *

Kara watched in both awe and horror - along with the rest of her coworkers - as they saw something unprecedented: a laughing Cat Grant.

* * *

"What?" Antaeus asked in confusion as he lifted his brother.

"Really? Does the reference allude you, Earth, Wind, and Fire?"

"It's SINGE, not FIRE! Who the hell do you think you are?!"

"Clearly a man with better music taste than you," deadpanned Thunder. "Also, someone less cliched. I mean seriously - robbing a bank? Isn't that Villain 101?"

"Shut up and fight!" commanded Zephyr as he created a traveling tornado once more.

Thunder shook his head in resignation and gathered electricity in his hands, "Damn kids."

* * *

"How exactly is he creating that earth armor?" Caitlin's asked as she watched the fight unfold on the news.

Cisco shrugged, "Wild guess - a focused form of geokinesis? Also, what's with the name Antaeus?"

"Antaeus was the half-giant son of Poseidon and Gaia who gained his power from the earth," Wells stated as he wheeled himself forward to watch Thunder dodge the attacks of the trio via his lightning-form. "He was famed for his loss to Heracles as part of his 12 Labors when his weakness was discovered and his back was broken when he no longer touched the ground."

"Still, Antaeus? A little too much like a history Easter Egg."

"And - wow, look at him toss that car back! - what would you call them?"

"I don't know, something more impactful and memorable? Like… I don't know… Geomancer?"

"Golem seems more appropriate," Caitlyn stated as she watched Zephyr be shocked by Thunder's electricity. "He isn't manipulating the earth itself, more like coating himself in it. What about the other two?"

"Well, Singe works since its short, to the point, power appropriate - what do you think are the wind speeds the funnels they are making? - but Zephyr?"

"Short for Zephyrus, the Greek God of the west wind. And based on my estimates, Thunder's winds are twice as strong but limited to his hands."

"Guess that works. Would have done something like Turbine seeing as how he favors spinning his winds rather than anything else like blasts or barriers."

"THAT I will agree with. Still, how come Thunder isn't taking them out? Seems like he is going easy on them."

Wells leaned in and watched Thunder closer, "He seems to be showing off."

* * *

"So I got to ask," Thunder asked nonchalantly as he leaned against the bank, watching in amusement as the trio tried to gather their breaths. "Did you guys wake up one day, realize you had powers, and just collectively agreed to go rob a bank? I mean, who of you got the notion that THIS [waved at the bank] was a good idea?"

"SHUT UP!" shouted Singe in contempt.

"Because honestly, it's folks like you who give any super powered individual a bad name. Did you even consider the ramifications of your actions?"

"What ramifications?" Zephyr shouted. "We got powers, so why shouldn't we use them?"

"I think you are misunderstanding something," Thunder stated as he held up a hand, making sure at the corner of his eye that the cameras were on him. "I have nothing against enhanced beings USING their powers. What I have issue is with people like you using your powers for crap like this," pointing at the bank again for emphasis. "Because when people like you do stupid shit like this, people who want to be left alone or who want to help people get a bad rep."

The trio still looked at him in confusion.

"Look, it's a domino effect. An enhanced individual gets powers, said individual decides to use said powers for morally questionable reasons. Society responds but usually has nothing that can handle said enhanced individual. For example, normal cops and government workers not having the experience nor capabilities to handle said individuals despite it being their jobs. Ergo, folks like me - powered or otherwise - go the vigilante route to stop you because we have the power to do so but are incapable of it without violating the societal law we wish to enforce. However, even if we stop people like you and leave the actual arrest for the feds, we are still violating the law by taking said law into our hands. Unfortunately, because of what enhanced individuals do that can be considered criminal actions, the government has to respond, usually ending in the options of registering our powers, conscripting us for government use, or outright making us illegal or experimenting on us a la 'survival of the species'. There is no middle ground for situations such as these. And considering that the last time a part of the human species was looked down upon, marginalized, marked, and experimented on, we had Germany in WWII. I don't want a repeat of that, do you?"

This explanation had the cameraman - and news reporter - as well as all the policemen present at full attention.

"Unfortunately, the fall out is still inevitable and in the near future based on how many costumed individuals - superhero or vigilante, your choice - are popping up. Meaning that people like me have to wear a mask to protect our identities since by using our capabilities and powers for good, we become targets, and in turn, all our friends and loved ones become targets. The only individuals who don't bother wearing masks to hide their identities are shapeshifters, people who have nothing to lose, those who work for the government, or who don't exist in any database."

* * *

"He is correct sir."

Bruce Wayne leaned back into his chair, watching the live feed of the news. "I know Alfred. It's why I always leave behind evidence of my investigations when I leave the thugs and criminals for Gordon's men to arrest."

"Still, do you think he has the right idea about speaking out about this issue so publicly?" Alfred asked, not in fear, but more in genuine concern, seeing as how his son was a vigilante.

"Whether or not he is the right choice, all that matter is that he is speaking out about the issue," Bruce stated but smiled. "Besides, by making it a national issue, he gives an opening for more enlightened individuals with more public authority to tackle it."

The British man's brow raised gingerly, "Oh? And is Wayne Tech suddenly looking into human rights?"

Bruce smiled, "Well, maybe the lawyers at least. It shouldn't be too hard to make some semblance of an argument that powered individuals can be uniquely suited for certain tasks to improve their PR."

* * *

"Huh," Louis said in surprise. "I always did wonder why Sups never bothered hiding his face - chiseled as it may be."

"So… it's not a reverse psychology trick?" Jimmy questioned scratching his head. "Like, you know, saying that his face is so common that searching for it…."

"Kid, kid," interpreted Perry. "The pitiful with that thinking is that you start thinking is that Superman expects people to think like that which is what people expect to expect… Look, it a vicious cycle better to be read at face value."

"Which is?" Clark asked, while at the same time mentally thanking Thunder for giving him ANOTHER plausible explanation of his similarity to Superman, whenever it may be brought up.

Perry shrugged, "That Superman has nothing to hide from the people as their superhero. Although… that is an interesting new article. Picture it: "Superhero vs. Vigilante: The Difference of Appeal."

Clark adjusted his glasses. "Title needs work, but I see what you're getting at."

"See that you do Kent. You've also been better at the human interest stories then Louis."

* * *

General Lane was sitting in his office in an undisclosed location watching this… powered individual makes his speech about why he dressed up in tights.

In a way, he can appreciate his reasoning: people do bad things, a person with the power to stop it takes action regardless of the fallout. Granted, taking the law into your owns hands was a bit much, but considering the potential alternatives were either being required to work for the government or being persecuted for something they can't control, vigilantism seemed like a better alternative.

Reminding the people about what happened during the Jewish is going to be a nightmare to explain away.

He picked up a phone and hit speed dial. " _Ring… Ring…._ Walker? Yes, its General Lane. Look, I am all in for your think tank regarding the super-powered individuals. Aha… Yeah, I am watching the news… well, he makes a straightforward enough point for the public watching… Look, he has a good point with them working for the government, not against it… He already referenced faith and history, two things you don't argue about in court or Congress, don't make him use the minority card…. Oh come on, how hard would it be to make incentives to make people willingly decide to join? We already have people like Nathaniel Adam, who was a Captain before his accident. Let him out and make him something like our military poster child…. It's not ridiculous…. Just because it's not done behind the people's back doesn't mean that good PR isn't something to utilize… well, people already see the forces as a good alternative out of crappy situations, chances are some among them must be enhanced… can we make a test poll for it?... Really? Hell, I'll fund it…. Well considering that your average individual would want to be left alone if they discovered they had powers, having the chance to use them for good seems like a better alternative…. Fine, fine…. Yes, I'll still join. Not partial to the name though…. Not that I get the reference, but how many people will know who Cadmus is?"

* * *

Thunder was imagining a whole multitude of conversations where currently happening after his little splurging of political views.

"Oh, will you shut up!" Singe shouted as he reignited ones more. "It doesn't matter what you think! We have power; we will use it how we want! Besides, you may have dodged all of our attacks, but you haven't done anything in actually stopping us. What, three vs. one not in your favor? Too chicken to get serious? Nothing fancy under your belt to stop us?"

Thunder smirked under his mask. _Showtime._ "Well…. I wouldn't say that I don't have anything to stop you guys. I am actually doing everything in my power not to go overboard and accidentally do more property damage or - God forbid - break one of you. Still, two out of three ain't bad for someone trying to hold you up."

Antaeus was the first to get it. "Wait… what do you mean hold us up?"

On cue, all the radios glitched out again, causing most to go for their ears. Right after that, a song started playing.

The smarter ones caught on first.

"No…. no, no, no…." Zephyr started muttering in fear as a certain beat picked up, and a lyric started being sung.

The older generation recognized it as Barry Manilow singing, while the younger one quickly recognized the song as something more modern, the repetition of 'Something's in the air' giving it away.

[For those wondering, I am using Daft Punk's 'Superheroes,' which is built from a vocal sample of Barry Manilow's "Who's Been Sleeping In My Bed?" Seriously, look it up.]

Before anyone got the chance to react, something yellow blurred into the area, flashing everywhere and anywhere, moving too fast for anyone to see what was happening.

In fact, the being was moving so fast, that the villain trio didn't even have a chance to react before they were quickly pummeled down and knocked down. The cops tried to react, but before they noticed, some of their cuffs were removed and used to restrain the downed criminals.

All three were restrained by their arms and legs – with Antaeus's armor having been removed from around said limbs – before the yellow flash finally stopped near Thunder, revealing the dressed figure in all of his glory.

The cameraman focused in on the figure, who wore a suit similar to Thunder except the yellows and reds were reversed.

As the figures shook hands, Thunder turned to the cameras. "Going with the theme started by the lovely Cat Grant, it is my pleasure to introduce the world to the one and only… LIGHTNING!"

For emphasis, the radios made cheering crowd sounds as Lightning clasped his hands in the air and waved to no one.

" _They love me! They really love me!"_ Shouted Lightning in joy, his voice slightly scarring the surrounding cops and civilians as it sounded mechanical and digital, like something out of a 'Transformers' cartoon.

Thunder clapped Lightning on the back, which unfortunately was hard enough to stumble him. "Hey – no showboating!"

" _Sorry."_ Stated Lightning as he rubbed the back of his head.

Thunder turned back to the cameras. "Sorry people out there who would love a chance to speak with us, but we aren't ready for the world just yet so until then…"

Thunder turned into a bolt of lightning and flew off, leaving Lightning alone. " _Really bro? Not cool."_

Before anyone got a chance to ask, Lightning ran off.

Detective Joe walked up to the trio to make sure they were still knocked out. "They don't pay me enough for this crap."

"Aren't you near retirement anyway?" Interjected Ralph as he started dragging Singe into a cop car.

"Not worth the pension if I am going to be dealing with criminals like these for the foreseable future."

Ralph slammed the cop car close. "Can't we… I don't know… ask the government for help or something?"

Joe looked at Ralph with a raised brow, "And who do you call in situations such as these?"

Ralph shrugged, "How about the source?"

Joe thought about it before looking to the right toward the open street, seeing the decrepit and abandoned S.T.A.R Labs. "You think anyone still works there?"

"Wouldn't hurt to check."

* * *

 _Nighttime_

Hartley regretted not bringing something thicker to wear. He assumed being at the top of the biggest building in town would have been somewhat cold, but he figured _he_ would have picked up the signal by now.

Maybe using a rotational signal on such a broad spectrum was not the best idea…

Before the thought finished, Hartley heard the sound of _his_ arrival. Quickly turning, Hartley saw Thunder checking out the satellite dish he converted and hacked to broadcast his signal.

Thunder turned, catching Hartley in his green ensemble and…

" _So you already made them? And here I thought the Pied Piper would prefer his flute be less conspicuous."_

While most would be caught off by the way Thunder was vibrating his voice, to Harley's ears, it was rather pleasant and soothing. Like smells to animals with enhanced olfactory receptors, sounds that would be annoying and unpleasant to most humans were beautiful to Hartley's now metahuman sound range.

Of course, the name he used caught Hartley off guard due to shock, mainly because it was the name he was considering to use when he went after _**HIM**_.

There was no way he should have known – or even made – such a reference unless…

Hartley's eyes bulged, "You're from the future."

Thunder tilted his head. " _If anyone else made such an assumption, I would have called them deranged. But considering how smart you are…"_

Hartley stood a little straighter, always proud of his intelligence and when it was recognized.

"… _still, geniuses always miss the small things in the grand scheme of things. For example, the reason it took me so long to notice your little signal is because you kept shifting it across the spectrum. Had I not had a partner who noticed the pattern, I would have never come here. In the future, don't try being too clever."_

Hartley would have rebutted, but he had other things to ask. "So you are from the future… is that why you saved me? Am I important to the future? Am I needed for something?"

Thunder looked at Hartley, judging him. _"And here I thought you were better than that; you are at letting your ego ride shotgun there, bucko."_

Hartley flinched.

" _But no, you, in the grand scheme of things, are not needed. Important on a somewhat minor scale? Sure. But down the line in the grand scheme of things? Not so much."_

Hartley stared in shock. "But… you saved me… you carried me to my apartment and even sealed it…"

" _That is because I am a good man who hates seeing people being dealt bad hands intentionally."_

Hartley froze. "What."

Thunder leaned on the stone wall, eyes on Hartley. " _Tell me, Hartley, with everything that you currently known, extrapolate a plausible explanation why a confirmed individual from outside the conceptualized linear time stream is currently in front of you, admitting that they are a time traveler_."

"Well, hypothetically? Your presence here could all be a coincidence, an accident on some part, a tragic hero origin even. A man separated from his time period, from his friends and colleagues. On the other hand, you could be here because something happened, something that shouldn't have occurred …"

At this point, Hartley was pacing back and forth.

"…but time travel is inherently dangerous. To risk going back in time is too advanced and too dangerous, even paradox-inducing. I mean, the logistics alone for two different time aspects of one person to exist simultaneously…"

" _That particular idea is bubcus. An individual meeting him or herself in different points in the timeline won't explode if they touch each other."_

"Oh – well okay then. But still, you – hypothetically – being here for a reason means that something outside the norm happened, the only thing that applies being the accelerator exploding. But why didn't you stop it sooner? Unless someone was preventing you from doing so… But who? Another time traveler can only stump a time traveler. But the only one in the position to do that would be Wells, and he has a full life story. They published a freaking biography about it! But that would mean that… it isn't Wells."

Thunder clapped. _"My, you are a clever one. And yes, you are right. There is a time traveler involved, but the reason I didn't arrive earlier was, for the simplest terms, because it was too soon."_

Hartley was just more confused than before.

" _You see Hartley, time is very paradoxical in understanding it from a conceptual level. Oh sure, you can be all scientific about it and sprout numbers and theories and logic, but at the base level? You need some twisted lateral thinking and an almost inherent understanding of time logic to traverse it, something that just even feasible when you have a Ph.D. in your corner."_

Hartley raised a finger. "What does have to do with…?"

" _In fact_ [Thunder ignored him, pushing on] _it's kind of why time travelers rarely travel alone, but I digress. In summation, normal time travel is a wibbly-wobbly endeavor, one that even masters have trouble truly understanding. And that is before you throw in the Speed Force."_

Hartley tilted his head. "Speed Force?"

" _Too complicated to explain. Long story short, there are several cosmic forces out there in existence that govern either an aspect of science or magic."_

"Magic, really?" Hartley asked mockingly.

" _A wise man I knew ones said that if science is simply the language of numbers, then magic is the language of words, and considering how far we have gotten with science, what's to say someone else hasn't gotten that far with words? Also, you live in a world of superhumans and aliens and magic is what throws you off?"_

He had Hartley there. "So… you are what, a conduit for this… Speed Force? And what does that have to do with time travel?"

" _The Speed Force, as you can guess, deals with speed. With Speed, there is Motion. With Motion, there is Acceleration. With Acceleration, there is Energy and Potential. Put that all together, you have someone who has the potential to break all barriers, be it sound, light… or time. Traveling through time via technology is much rougher but entering another part of the timestream is rather seamless. But traveling through time via the Speed Force is less strenuous, but it punctures time when performed by an amateur. And considering what happens when a sonic boom ripples in the air, what do you think happens to time when a time boom occurs?"_

Hartley gulped in realization.

" _As you correctly guessed, I am a metahuman, one whose only power is the ability to seamlessly connect to the Speed Force and use it fully with all inherent secondary powers."_

"Secondary powers?"

" _You must have observed Lightning and me: the environment and people don't react as you would expect to people going at extreme speeds or generating that much electricity."_

"I assumed that it was just shaky camera footage."

" _Not so much. You see, a seamless connection to the Speed Force provides a user a plethora of benefits, one of which is an aura which protects the user from the more annoying aspects of moving at extreme speeds, such as friction and gale winds. If a user didn't have the full benefits, they would burn up at certain speeds or destroy their environment with sonic booms and roads with their steps. That or run out of calories."_

Hartley nodded in understanding.

" _This aura – or connection to the Speed Force – also has another benefit: it makes the user Paradox Proof when time traveling."_

Hartley froze.

" _You see, any normal individual traveling through time with tech has to have some variant of time shielding to prevent accidentally erasing themselves from history. Speed Force users have that build in, as well as an inherent understanding of time. However, that same shielding makes finding them – and their alteration in time – much more difficult. ESPECIALLY if they find a way to lock others out of that particular era."_

"So the particle accelerator explosion…"

" _Was a god damn bonfire. You see, in the prime time stream…"_

'Wait, wait, PRIME time stream?"

" _(Sigh) Look, short and simple, while the Multiverse Theory supports that notion that every signal decision creates a feasible alternative reality, some decision isn't that altering and weaves back together over time. However, by that same token, certain threads are more predominant, more likely to occur. With time, certain threads become large enough, tied around a single cohesive fact, with other realities branching off of it. For example, any reality with Earth in it would be considered Earth Prime. Any seam that had humans as the dominant species would be considered Sapient Prime. In this case, however, we are currently a branch off of the Prime reality dealing with our particular branch of superheroes, one that is taking a life of its own. You get?"_

Hartley just nodded, the information overload getting to him.

" _In any case, in the original prime timeline, the S.T.A.R Lab explosion would still have happened and would still release a wave of energy that would create metahumans… but in 2020."_

"Why would anyone want to recreate that explosion earlier?"

" _Because that explosion was rather important. You see, the world already had enhanced individuals out there, people who naturally – or unnaturally as the case may be – who developed abilities. A good chunk of them became superheroes and managed to build up some credibility. When the explosion occurred, the wave – while concentrated in Central City – spread throughout the world. That exotic matter quick started the activation of more individuals metahuman capabilities, which some argued was the next step of evolution. By that point in time, since superheroes had the support of the government, the fall out wasn't too difficult to manage. But in 2013, when they are barely any superheroes as it is? It is THE WORST time to have people suddenly wake up with superpowers."_

This floored Hartley. "My god… who in their right mind would do such a thing? The ramifications to society, to people… oh, sweet mercy…."

" _Now you are catching on. You see, this was all the result of one man trying to kill off his rival._ "

"His rival?"

" _All superheroes have an arch-nemesis. In this case, it was the Flash and his enemy, the Reverse Flash."_

"Reverse Flash?"

" _Unoriginal it may be, the Reverse Flash was the Flash's greatest enemy. However, the Flash was always better than him. So he decided to remove the source of his problem – literally."_

"So… he time traveled to…"

" _To try and kill Flash at his weakest, when he was powerless. There was a small catch: the Flash followed him. They fought, and while he couldn't kill him directly, he decided to ruin his life instead. In hindsight, he figured it was a brilliant play since he would still have his enemy, but one severely emotionally compromised. But in all that, he made ONE GIANT MISTAKE."_

"What?"

" _He forgot about how he got his powers. You see, Reverse Flash came from far in the future – the 22_ _nd_ _century to be exact. He has become so accustomed to thinking about dealing with that Flash in his time that he forgot to account for the ramifications of removing such an important speedster from the board – a speedster responsible for opening the initial connection to the Speed Force."_

Hartley caught on to the implication. "Wait…"

" _The moment time finally registered what he had done, the Reverse Flash lost almost all connection to his source of power. Paradox Shielding only prevents the user from erasing themselves from history via the Grandfather Paradox, but it can't do anything else. The only reason he still HAS a connection to the Speed Force is that that shielding persisted all these years, maintaining his strenuous grasp to the Speed Force. And being that the arrogant asshat that he was, the man quickly got to work to make that connection. The irony is that to do so, he would have to bring about the creation of his greatest enemy. As you can see by me standing before you, he failed."_

"So the Flash – the original one – the one that was supposed to exist…"

" _Will never exist in the same intended manner he was supposed to. The mantle may be taken up one day, but the man who was supposed to become him, he doesn't exist anymore – too many alterations to time and his personal life."_

Hartley nodded. "Wait… his personal life? Oh. OH…."

" _When he realized this, Eobard – that's his name – realized he needed to bring about the building the accelerator much faster to et back home. But he didn't want to work on the sidelines, so he did the next best thing: he planned out the murder of Harrison Wells and Tess Morgan."_

"But as I said, Wells is alive."

" _And I like I said, Eobard is from the 22_ _nd_ _century. You don't think they had the technology to impersonate other people?"_

"So, the man I worked for, the man who ruined my life…"

" _Hasn't been Harrison Wells for thirteen years. Thirteen years in which he BUTCHERED time. Just think about it – all the differences he made, all the careers he ended or started, all the lives he changed, all the scientists he managed to recruit earlier than before or that weren't even there to begin with. All the meetings he prevented from occurring, all the deaths he may have indirectly caused… all the lives he prevented from being made from couples that no longer existed…"_

Hartley had already assumed this earlier on, but hearing it out loud was just… horrifying.

Time travel has always been a minor dream to any aspiring scientist. But no one ever considers the ramifications of time travel.

" _As I said, this reality became its separate seam – too many alterations caused by Eobard altering the timeline for 13 years."_

"And the only reason he still exists is that his ancestor somehow still exists thanks to his Paradox Shielding?"

" _Yes, and it particularly brutal for his ancestor as well. You don't even know how many events had to be altered in the ancestor's life to ensure he ended up where he needed to be. The alterations are still ongoing and are becoming harder to avoid."_

"Why?"

" _Because the source of Eobard's power has returned. Lightning and I are the new users of the Speed Force – the accelerator may have punctured the Force, but we pried it open when we arrived. An opening which Eobard is slowly feeding off of to regain his powers."_

"If you know all this, why haven't you stopped him yet? Why haven't you killed off his ancestor?"

" _First, we only arrived at this time recently because we finally managed to track him down thanks to the explosion. Secondly, he is so stuck in the notion of how certain events are supposed to go, he can't accept his arch-rival no longer existing. As such, we can't risk removing him yet – especially like this. We need his actions to be brought to light, meaning that it will have to be done publicly. So we are playing the waiting game, one which we will win since Eobard has always been a rash man. Third, the Paradox Shielding works both ways. Unless his ancestor willingly ends his life, nothing short of physically removing the offending appendage will do any good. Believe me; others have tried with circumcision before."_

Harley filled away that little tidbit for later. "So why are you telling me all this? I only wanted to call you up…"

" _Because you figured that I had some elaborate plan to use you or betray you like Wells, I mean, Eobard did? That man had ruined your life enough as it is. Did you know that in the original timeline you were happily married by this point in Europe?"_

Hartley froze trying to digest all that. "What."

" _As I said, he ruined people's lives just by existing. Had it been not for him seeking you, you would have left America in a rage after your parents disinherited you, making your way to England to work at a university there. Sure, you would have made your way back to work for S.T.A.R Labs under the Wells, but you would have been happy and married. Catching you earlier prevented all of that."_

"So… my future… he… he [tears on his eyes] _stole_ my future… my happiness…."

" _And the happiness of countless others – unborn or otherwise. Believe me; there is a special place in Hell for him when we finally catch him. The only reason I am telling you all this is to prevent you from going off half-cocked."_

Hartley wiped his tears. "Wha… What?"

" _You will be getting your pound of flesh, Hartley, but not now. We saved you not just because we wanted to prevent you from waking up in the city in pain a nearly lose your hearing altogether, but to make sure you didn't walk down the path of the villain."_

Hartley looked on in confusion.

" _See, we are aware of not just the original timeline progression, but the progression of this timeline as well. Had we not stopped you, the rage against Wells would have consumed you. And even when Wells would have been exposed, the rage – the vengeance – would have nowhere to go and would transfer over to someone else, leading you down to an early supervillain grave. By piquing your curiosity early on – as well as some minor time pushes on my end – we have avoided most of the pitfalls that would have let you down the path…"_

"Of Pied Piper," Hartley stated as he looked down on his gloves.

" _Yes. Your moniker became rather infamous, spawning more than a few copycats and imitators. Never as good as the original mind you, mostly due to lack of intelligence to use your sound manipulating capabilities to the fullest. Everyone always figured that THAT was your actual metahuman ability and not your superhuman hearing."_

Hartley clenched and unclenched his hands. "So, you want me to become a hero?"

" _I want you to become whoever you wish to be Hartley. I am a big supporter of free will – ironic as it considering I am messing with time – and Eobard already removed choices from your life. I only wished to inform you of everything pertinent you need to know so you could make an informed decision. In any case, your revenge against Eobard will have to wait for now – until at least his identity is revealed."_

"That's all?"

" _That's all,"_ nodded Thunder. " _Anything else you wish to know?"_

"The man I was supposed to marry, is he…"

" _I am sorry Hartley, but it's too late now. He has found someone else who makes him happy. I suggest you do the same and move on with your life – make the best of it that you can. If you wish to speak to me again, call me with the signal like you did before – I'll monitor from now on."_

Hartley nodded in acceptance – albeit reluctantly – which Thunder mirrored before flying away.

Hartley looked at his hand's ones more, weighing his options, before slowly turning to face STAR Labs on the horizon.

"So you like playing with people's lives, don't you _Eobard?_ Well, let's how it feels when someone else is pulling strings. Like the Rat Catcher of Hamelin, I shall lead the rats and children to your doom, circling you till you make a mistake. Thunder may have said I couldn't target you but doesn't mean I can't make your life difficult to make you break. The faster you screw up, the faster my vengeance shall be. So listen to the whistling of the winds Eobard, for the Pied Piper is coming for you."


	4. Who The Hell Invoked Zelretch?

**I am going to be honest, I honestly didn't expect the story to get so much attention from readers.**

 **When I compare myself to Nemesis13 or "A Cell of a Good Time" by Beastrider9, I lack the spontaneity that makes great Crack Fics.**

 **Hell, I had to do a dozen google searches and wiki lookups just to make a few subtle Easter Eggs in this 15.9K chapter that probably won't come back again.**

 **I am particularly not happy about the weird ass pull I pulled in the middle of this (you'll know what it is when you get to it.)**

 **And admittedly, this chapter, in my opinion, is nothing then self-pleasuring by finding a way to incorporate the grander universe and a basically any character or item I desire.**

 **Seriously, if anyone is interested in picking up the batton for this story or helping a brother out, PM me. Seriously, I'll play the manatee writers for Family Guy as long as someone wishes to interpret my ramblings and idea balls**

 **ENJOY THE CHAPTER!**

* * *

"Creator Barry, I do not believe that this is a good idea."

I looked up from my tinkering – I've left this thing on the back burner long enough. "Why? Is the math not right? I had you run the numbers."

"The math is correct…"

I pulled up a horde of wires, color coding them and bundling them to prevent any accidents, running around the room looking for the plastic cuffs. "Is the blueprint wrong in some way? I thought I got the right metals and the screws. Never knew just how important the right curve and shape of a screw was till now."

"The engineering is sound…"

I slammed the panel closed, quickly cleaning up the workspace and giving the tools to the floating robots to put away. "I even had you triple check the system using information you won't give me access to. So what is the problem here, Gideon?"

If the AI could sigh in resignation, she would be.

"What I have against the endeavor IS the endeavor itself."

I wiped my hands with a towel, considering her honestly justified concerned to my insane idea.

Frankly, the thing I was working on wasn't THAT crazy – just bizarre from an outside perspective.

See, being a speedster has many a benefit, but a few noteworthy cons.

Eating a lot? Manageable if not expensive. Thank you, Gideon, the digital Wolf of Wall Street. I may be joking about the title, but I've seen my bank account – I am slowly edging into the 1% territory.

Slightly concerned if I am committing tax fraud since I am not making said money nor is the account TECHNICALLY in my name.

Better keep watch on my ego.

Inability to get drunk or high? Granted, slightly annoying but not debilitating.

Medication not working on me? Okay, that is a genuine concern, but I don't plan to go under the knife any time soon. And unless I screw up phasing, doubt any bullets are going to be needed to cut out of me.

Knock on wood.

An odd Speed Force phenomenon which made it so that I was always late to places unless it was under my own powers? Well, I don't own a car, and I only take public transportation on occasion – to fool Eobard and because I use a bike to get to work – but still, it's noticeable.

Do I even need a car at this point, other than to accommodate some societal expectation of a man being able to navigate a four-wheeled vehicle?

The most annoying thing, however? The impatience.

I would call it ADHD, but it's not that bad. If anything, it's better to call it wanderlust.

See, things have been going smoothly for me as of late – too smooth if that's even possible.

Still visit Dad in prison, keeping him up to date of what's happening in my life. I think his concerns about me replacing his son have finally abated. In any case, the investigation into his case is on hold until Eobard finally snaps and puts on his yellow-red tights.

He may have waited for years to get to this point, but he is like a shark in blood infested waters – he can only hold back for so long when his prey is RIGHT THERE.

Doesn't help that said pray is either not following his expectations and/or taunting him in some twisted way.

Meta-humans have slowly been bleeding into the criminal system, but my program has been spotting them. Managed to catch Hannibal Bates pretty early on.

Oliver still can't explain why he was on 'The List.'

Kept my eye out for the meta-human criminal underworld. Don't think Amunet Black and 'Goldface' are a thing yet, but still, forewarned is forewarned.

If I wasn't working as a forensic scientist or studying for my degrees – 6 and counting – then I was working alongside Cecille Horton discussing the jailing of meta-humans, because that was a tax issue clusterfuck of epic proportions.

I mean, how exactly do you justify paying for specially designed cells for only one individual, two if a repeat power occurs?

I swear, politics is not my thing…

Joe hasn't run into her yet, but I am keeping my eyes open. Haven't seen Joe that often at work as of late actually. I mean, I see him at the weekly dinner-and-catch up at the West household, but that isn't really the same thing.

Keeps telling me he is just busy working with his new partner, whatever that means.

Iris is still a sensitive issue for everyone at the table, but Joe doesn't seem to have caught on that she is dating 'Detective Pretty Boy.' She is still in journalism though, and I know I didn't throw that idea into the air at any point.

In any case, being the DA, Cecille had to get involved when jailing super-powered individuals became an actual issue of concern. Thankfully, she only came to me since I seemed to be the most openminded about the issue. Most cops at the precinct other then the boss wanted them all to send to a government facility somewhere with 'extreme prejudice.'

Apparently, the 'camps' overtones of those statements flew over their heads.

Considering the few enhanced folks the force have caught didn't even use their powers for their crimes – except for that one voyeur with X-ray vision – that seemed excessive, especially for misdemeanors.

Which Cecille agreed with, asking if there were a cheaper and more effective alternative the public would support paying extra money to keep them safe.

Long story short, what was left of STAR Labs was drawn in, plans were made for power-dampening colors and capture gear, a separate wing at Iron Heights Penitentiary was being designed, and I kept my self conspicuously away.

Out of curiosity, I asked Cecille on her opinion on the vigilantes in the city, and she was of mixed feeling about it since while the two were technically breaking the law, they only subdued enhanced individuals for the police to capture. A technicality that got them off since they didn't engage in vigilante justice – like a certain bat in Gotham – but it was a very thin grey line that law is bound to catch up to more in part due to Superman's activities in Metropolis.

Thunder and Lightning did occasionally get involved when normal forces weren't enough, but they were ignored since it didn't cost the city any money or generate problems. Little things, like catching criminals into too fast a car or putting out a fire in a building too big for the hoses to reach with the water.

In the government's eye, as long as there wasn't paperwork, they could overlook superpowered individuals from getting involved in criminal affairs.

An occasional purse snatcher or crime-in-progress have occurred, but those usually were so minor – and unnoticed due to the speed factor – that it never gave anyone issues other than an odd police report.

Painted a building and paved a road with Lightning once or twice, but that's it.

I gave the people just enough to know that the city has its own superheroes that helped out but not enough to get codependent on them.

I brought that issue up to Oliver during our infrequent chats, and he agreed with my methodology when I pointed out how often Superman gets involved in all crime in Metropolis that it became a headache for the people in the public government in regards to paperwork, taxes, and insurance purposes.

Even Batman stuck strictly to enhanced individuals and the 'dark' side of crime, mainly the organized crime syndicates. Petty theft and white-collar crime was usually beneath his notice and left to 'the professionals' since otherwise, the Commissioner would have put up a bigger stink.

Superman – bless his Boy Scout heart – is just too involved in the public and doesn't consider his action in the long term in the people's mind.

He freaking made the front page rescuing a cat from a tree.

Must have been a slow news day.

My point that I seemed to have skidded away from is that I AM BORED!

Gideon and her robots have taken over my financial and home needs, waiting for the degrees to be processed and approved for is grudgingly slow, and until something big happens, I got nothing on my plate.

Hence the beacon.

Oh, wait sorry, typo.

Hence **the Beacon**.

Yeah, needed that capital.

"Gideon, the logic is sound. This here will serve as a marker in space and time for me to track back when…"

"You go to explore the multiverse, I am aware, Creator Barry. My query is why?"

"And my answer is, why not?"

As Gideon build a response, I speed through the apartment, filling up on everything I may need in my 'quick' journey into the unexplored and possibly dangerous vastness of causality, possibility, and wibbly-wobbly timey stuff.

Doesn't that sound fun?

"I go in, visit the closest universes to me, look around a bit, pick up some interesting stuff to research and/or souvenirs, and come back here. Since the Beacon is time-locked between me and this universe, when I return, no significant time will pass since I will know EXACTLY when and where to phase back to when I penetrate the 'barrier' to the universe… At least I think no significant time will pass. It's a toss-up with dimensional variable and oscillation variance."

Gideon stared me down and glared right back until she submitted. "There's nothing I can say to change your mind is there?"

I smiled, "Nope."

I speed to the door. "Be back soon, watch the place for me, pleaseandthankyou…"

I slammed the door shut as I speed off.

Lightning and energy began to coalesce around me and by speeding form left the city, building up speed as I accelerated faster and faster, reaching the necessary speeds to enter the Speed Force.

And right as I entered the desert and began to wonder how long this would take, a portal opened in front of me.

I smiled and couldn't resist the opportunity presented to me.

"GERONIMO!" I shouted, running into the event horizon.

* * *

Gideon and the robots stared at the video of Barry running into the portal – provided of course by the horde of satellites that Gideon hacked into just for the occasion.

It would be a nice recording in the emergency 'I told you so' scenario she was running odds for.

Sadly, it was 50-50 as Creator Barry predicted.

Not knowing when he would return, Gideon did the sensible thing with the now apparent free time she had on her digital hands.

"Who wants to have a Star Trek Next Generation marathon?"

All robots raised their hands.

Barry made Gideon give them the AI kernel so that they would develop personalities.

So far, none were fans of Metallica.

Robert did seem to develop an odd interest in wood-burning of all things like his namesake.

Hopefully, this would broaden their horizons – until Kirk would find his 'namesake from another mother' in the original series.

As long as he didn't pick up the speech pattern, Gideon didn't care.

* * *

Huh, so this is the Speed Force.

Or at least, how the multiverse looks to a speedster fueled by the Speed Force.

Got to say, I imagined something MUCH crazier.

You know, chaos theory being what it is.

Like, flesh bending, state of matter altering, tasting sounds and colors, 5th-dimensional logic defining shenanigans.

An energy road in a glowing maelstrom of multicolored storms, twisting and turning in various ways, sometimes dividing and converging back together with other paths was not on my top ten list.

Still, it was a picturesque view as I sped through the void.

Can it be even called that? A void is defined as 'without substance' but can you really call other strings of existence in the space between them as fundamentally solid matter?

I mean, what kind of classification can you even GIVE another dimension?

Questions for later.

In the 'air' were strings of various lengths and size, twisting and turning via the winds, splitting and merging, bulging and shrinking. Some passing through the road I was on, some just barely scrapping it as they instead collided with other strings, some with disastrous effects.

Occasionally images would spark/emerge around me, showing things I couldn't quite perceive and understand.

Was that a dinosaur riding a mechanized warthog?

I ran down the road I was on, making sure I stuck to it, taking in as many sights as I could.

What I wouldn't give for a working camera right now.

As I passed near the closest random string that I could view, I noticed that it was actually spinning on itself, generating something akin to what a wind funnel would look like on the inside.

Took me a moment to realize that the inside of the strings looks like the temporal zone – zones? – used by non-speedster to travel through time.

Would that make me giant size? Is the Wave Rider tiny now? I get that perspective is in the eye of the…

Oh… that actually makes sense. By that logic, a time aberration would be a string bulging, twisting the wrong way, interacting with another string and branching off like that alteration happened in that one…

Which would make pocket dimensions or higher planes LITERAL in this case. Higher dimensions would be above this layer of reality – THANK YOU FLATLAND – and pockets would be something akin to a ball of yarn that couldn't unravel or connect to another string unless someone REALLY screwed up or connected to it from their end.

Explains demons and angels – THANK YOU BUFFY-VERSE!

Oh shit, that's a thing here – Xander, prepare the Twinkies!

Thank God for the multiverse – an instantaneous 'Why the hell not?' and 'What if…" to any question that can't be explained by conventional physics and quantum mechanics.

It would also explain why Speedsters can enter other universe and time travel, seeing as the road is outside all the strings and can enter any of them. But how to enter the thin ones?

And how does magic-based reality travel fit in? Is it like a giant game of 'Pinball Wizard' or something?

Actually, the strings aren't thin all the time from what I can observe. Most of them are somewhat bulging actually, only rarely do they ever become too small to feasibly enter… FIXED POINTS!

Of course, they have to be protected and making them essential to the string by making them a literal weak point makes perfect sense.

You mess with them and WHAM! The string snaps into itself collapsing that time stream, or it begins to unravel and doing god knows how much damage to the other strings around it.

Doctor Who had it right in a way with all of history happening at once when River didn't shoot the Doctor.

Huh, just had a though – is déjà vu what happens when an individual's string from another reality crosses over? Food for thought.

So focused on this I was that I didn't realize that I was slowing down, almost causing the road under me to disappear.

Thankfully the beeping of my watch caused me to pick up the pace to avoid falling over the edge. Looking at my wrist, I smiled, confirming that the Beacon worked. I had the exact location of my exit point in the whole of the multiverse.

Huh, Earth-1… could be worse. Could be Earth-616.

Still, the number isn't that far off. Looking around, I can easily tell that there are more than the expected 52 universes associated with DC – that is if each string is a different universe.

Which SORT of makes sense if size represents the 'solidness' and 'predominance' for a particular reality to occur.

Granted, there seem to very few extremely large stings from which others branch off and fuse back into – actually, counting the few I can spot, they do seem to be in the double digits.

Never mind then, '52' more than likely, meaning the branches are more akin to 'what if's' and the like.

Huh, I see a really dark and corrupt one separate from the others.

Must be Nazi Earth.

Remember to avoid that one.

Or the Dark Multiverse… don't want The Batman Who Laughs to get involved.

So… now what? Here I am, running down the literal road through the multiverse… where to go first?

Reverse Gender Earth?

Earth post-Nuclear Armageddon?

Magic Earth?

Hell, why even bother with just the DC Universes?

Deciding to be a cocky bastard, I choose to visit the REAL Earth-616 first.

But where do I find it? I mean, I am in the DC Multiverse, how the hell am I supposed to…

LIGHTBULB MOMENT!

I ran closer to the edge, looking down.

Below me was a whole horde of other apparent multiverses, with their own separate golden roads and multi-size strings.

AND that's when I noticed the other roads – not golden – connecting the multiverses together in the thinnest of margins.

The nexus of realities was apparently a poorly maintained highway, with the hard to explain looping roads and elevations.

Which means that I wasn't bound to the MULTIverse, but the OMNIverse.

Indeed, this was a sight, a beauty to behold.

Oh, what fun is it to be aware of the 4th Wall that I can honestly that the contractor responsible for this should refund his degree for the lack of organization.

The irony of that statement is not lost on me.

Still, could be fun.

Not the best though to have as I jumped over the edge.

Suicidal, I was not.

Plus, there was no open-top on a moving vehicle with assassins inside for me to land into on the busy freeway.

* * *

Deadpool looked up from the microwave as his chimichangas were heating up.

"Okay, who the hell is interfering with my shtick?"

* * *

Even at accelerated time dilation allowed via their mechanical systems, Gideon and her 'friends' had just finished watching the series when they detected another portal opened where the recent had just finished giving off residual energy readings.

Before she had a chance to figure out who opened this one, someone ran into the apartment and entered her workspace.

Turning her screen back on, she quickly recognized that it was Creator Barry, but he looked… different.

"How long was I gone?" Barry asked with a mix of urgency and confirmation.

"Very little time has passed, Creator Barry – less than an hour since you left on your exploration. How long has it been for you?"

It was only after asking that question that her process caught on to the 'idiosyncrasies' she was experiencing.

Barry's eyes looked older.

Different clothes are one thing, what with her maker wearing a different ensemble in what he left. Hair and beard could be trimmed along with fingernails to prevent guessing passage of time through growth.

As is the lack of new wrinkles or blemishes or scars on the skin that was exposed.

But the eyes… they had a new clarity to them, the 'wisdom of experience' as it were.

Barry put down his bag – again, different from the one he initially left with – as he sighed in relief and sat in the chair. "To me, it has been years. Were it not for some fluke of the Speed Force reducing my aging, I would have grey hairs at this point, more from stress then age."

Gideon couldn't hide the shock on her digital face. Grey hairs? Either her creator has been gone for decades, or the stress of whatever he has experienced would have caused a premature color loss for his hair filaments.

Gideon watched her maker reach into his bag, his arms going in further than the dimension allowed, as he began taking items out of it.

Thankfully, Gideon was aware of magic – unlike lower class AI – and 'advanced science' so her processors were not suffering from paradox-causing malfunctions in her logic matrix.

First few things taken from the bag were external hard drives, all of various sizes and designs - probably from different realities - differentiated by the labels marking them with different numbers and code phrases.

Some of the ones she spotted had titles instead, such as 'Amalgam' and 'Gundam.'

Everything else Barry took out was relics and items of sorts, things she couldn't really categorize just yet.

A chain with several different colored rings.

A pill bottle with the identifying label ripped off.

A small circular mechanical device with a triangular lattice within in that, by all appearances, managed to generate extreme amounts of energy, thanks to said lattice being composed of an element that, while natural, was one yet to be discovered further along in the Periodic Table in this reality.

A ceremonial arrow with a golden arrowhead, one that even Gideon's censors told her was composed of some sort of material not native to Earth. There was also a minute traces of foreign particles on it that her sensors just couldn't pick up at the moment.

A tankard of green substance with the letter 'TCRI' on it, sealed tight.

A box of syringes labeled 'Super-Soldier Batch#3'.

Three ores of metal that Gideon couldn't categorize with her sensors. All she could gather was that the blue one seemed to both absorb and reflect energy, the silver one was incredibly dense and seemed challenging to penetrate, and the lustrous black one was just too damn heavy to make logical sense.

Finally, after a horde of other menagerie of items was taken out from a never-ending bag of wonders, a chained up book, shrouded in darkness and blackness, was slammed on the desk in a loud conclusion.

Gideon's face looked up, registering the smile on her maker's face. "Boy, do I have a lot to tell you, Gideon."

* * *

A particular scientist from Area 51 – was his name David McCallum? – claimed that losing your mind repeatedly gets boring after a while, making sanity a better alternative.

Granted, said scientist was also stuck on the event horizon for thousands of years without sleep, food, or aging, which meant that actually hunkering down and studying time and space in its majestic wonder seemed like a better alternative than being a Joker facsimile.

Can't say I can relate after the 'Doom Patrol'-esque sideshow of weirdness I have been through.

Thank heavens for reduced aging, skincare, and mental compartmentalization.

Also, kind of finally get why Doctor Who had such an odd outlook on life: once you've seen everything and acknowledging that everything is theoretically and statistically plausible, seeing every moment as original and unique, even the genuinely one-off surreptitious events, does develop a certain charm to it.

It is logical from an outside perspective. An individual who has always been bound to one reality in a linear time progression is going to snap – the Joker end or the Doctor end – when exposed to the full breach that is the Multiverse.

Or Omniverse as the chips fall.

Kind of like a 2D figure acknowledging the 3D and living with the information that your reality is flawed to the one above it

I had rum to ease the transition to 4D. What does that make the 5th dimension, though? I mean, you got the three dimensions to technically represent space and time for 4th, so what would be covered in the 5th to allow the imp to pull off his reality-warping?

Should ask him when I stop by Metropolis.

In any case, here I am, taking shots with Gideon, her listening to me ramble about my journey through the omniverse.

'… so after I was done with dealing with one narcissistic vampire, I still had some slaying left in me. So, knowing what I know about fiction and how stories are made, I found the Buffy-verse string bundle and decided to screw around in that one for a few months."

Gideon and her associated just stared at me. "Creator Barry, I have about 1.3 Terabytes of audio recording from your, admittedly informative, journey in the plausible and the less possible. Most of the data is being taken up by questions I have formed – '

"Which will be answered when I hook up the hard drives to your systems. FYI, make sure it doesn't get out to the public. I don't think the scientific community could handle the solution to P versus NP or the proof to Fermat's Theorem."

Gideon stopped again, a common occurrence in the last few hours. "Leaving the implications of that aside, by my estimates, your… escapades… in your retellings covers about…"

"A decade or so, yes, half of the time, I was gone. Not being bound in one place or time plus having something new to do sort reduces the totality of normal tediousness that you find in everyday life."

Gideon nodded, acknowledging the time parameters. "My only pressing question, is why did it take you so long to return, Creator Barry?"

I sighed, knowing it was a loaded question, but one that needed the 'band-aid' approach to it, so rip it off.

"Honestly, because it was fun at first. I visited low stake worlds, most of which were different significantly in one way or another, outside of being free of super-powered individuals. I think that was my first year or so. Then… then I think I got the attention of others like me."

"Others?"

"Other individuals gifted with the capability to… traverse the possible as it were. I was aware that they existed, its sort of why I made sure to find the Natsu-verse and avoid it. I DID NOT need that trollish vampire mage's insanity, thank you very much."

Gideon filled that reference for later, trying to recall which fictional character her maker was referring to.

"But… I forgot to acknowledge that there could be others out there, those less benign and neutral. Some of them had specialized powers, so I managed to avoid them through my methods. Some… some were just more powerful than me. And they were bored and petty. Like the Greek Gods of old, they toyed with me…"

Gideon watched in silence as Barry was lost in his memories. "What did they do?"

"Most of the time, they locked me in realities that were filled with things that wanted nothing better than to kill or torture me. Other times they threw me in the most annoying facsimile of normalcy imaginable without access to my powers – I showed them."

"And this went on for….?"

I shrugged. "Year or two, but it felt longer. With time and practice, I managed to get better with my powers and understanding of the omniverse under their 'watchful' eyes. Until finally, I was stronger than them."

"Did you end them?"

"Most of them - one or two were misguided, following the pack. I gave them a slap on the wrist and told them not to do something like this again. Found someone with good morality to be their watcher for the time. Well, maybe questionable morality – the Zuzushi Family are more chaos-driven than anything else. Others… well, let's just say that there are things out there that can kill a god or as close as you can get to a pretender."

"Fair enough. And after that?" Gideon asked, her worries slightly elevated, knowing her Creator was, while not 'broken,' was at least better from experience and recovering in his way own way.

"After that… after that, I guess I sowed chaos. I was never the villain," I interrupted, raising a hand to stop Gideon from asking. "The worst I've done was being a dick, but never a villain. Being a neutral enforcer of chaos with good tendencies was enough for me."

"Why did you do that?" Gideon asked with honest confusion.

"Would you believe me if I said that most of it was just so that I can strengthen ties between dominant branches of the closest multiverses?"

Gideon raised a brow.

"Granted, I kind of wanted to see what it would feel like to be Mister Mxyzptlk – nice ego boost –, but there was a real reason for it. Think of it like this. The branch we live in now – let's call it DC – is a close door neighbor to another dominant branch of a multiverse – let's call it Marvel. All I did that connect the two with let's call them branchings, so that the highway express of the infinite was easier to travel between not just them, but others out there."

"And the items you brought? Are they the anchors to said corners of reality?"

"I actually collected them as souvenirs, but yes, that can work as well. Eventually, when I was happy with what I did, I made my way back, double-checked to make sure I found the hole I exited from, patched it up on reentry, and here we are now."

Gideon stared in confusion. "You… patched up… a hole in the fabric of reality?"

"Again, you are making it out to be a bigger thing then it should be. I was just trying to avoid a Time Boom."

"I would hope so," deadpanned Gideon. "So, now what?"

I smiled as I stood up and clapped my hands. "Now I am off to enjoy some Coast City Pizza. You would NOT believe how hard it is to find good pizza. Toodles!"

I ran off before Gideon had a chance to stop me.

Gideon smiled as she sighed, at least happy knowing her Creator was back to his old self, not becoming broken from his experiences.

"Might as well start downloading the hard drives. Lars, would you be a dear and hook one up?"

"Which one?" asked the robot in the robotic equivalent of his name source.

[Barry got bored one day and gave them all voices for their real-life counterparts. He only altered them slightly to avoid a copyright lawsuit.]

"How about… the one there labeled 'Discworld'?"

Lars shrugged, doing as asked.

Big – but hilarious – mistake.

By the end of the day when Barry returned, Gideon would have undergone the equivalent of an acid trip while traversing the equivalent of a logical 'Alice in Wonderland.'

How was Barry to know Gideon never heard of Terry Pratchett in the future?

* * *

"I call bullshit."

I looked up from my pizza slice, looking at Diggle. "I figured as much."

I gave Oliver the head's up that I was coming so when I arrived with the boxes, everyone was there waiting for me sans Lyla. She was still busy cleaning up A.R.G.U.S after Waller transferred out to do some government project.

Probably Cadmus, but I would never reveal that to anyone… yet.

I chewed off another bite as everyone looked between the two of us. "Is it because I didn't bring the pineapple pizza?"

"No… well a little, but mostly because I don't believe that you were gone for over a decade," Diggle argued as he sat on the opposite end of the table.

"But you believe that I can travel between universes, which by extension means time?"

Got to love semantics.

Diggle clenched his face in resignation, knowing he was on the losing side of the argument. "You don't even look older."

"It's called moisturizing, "- Sarah and Thea chuckled – "with a heavy dose of A La Superpowers."

"I am more curious about what alternates of us you ran into," interjected Roy.

Thea's eyes bulged as she smirked and lightly jumped in her seat as she looked at Barry. "Yeah, anything interesting on that front?"

I raised a brow. "You really want that on your heads? What-if's that could have happened if you made different choices?"

Sarah shrugged. "Couldn't be worse then what we have now."

Oh, now that's just asking for it. Besides, it not like I actually visited or even bothered watching alternate realities for these guys. Too many variables and possibilities, especially in the more popular multiverses that have readers and viewers demanding more and more from them.

But they don't know that.

Huh… could be a good lesson here somewhere if they realize how good they actually have it.

At least I think there is a lesson.

Hard to say. Still, better build-up that mysterious and wise 'I know things you can't comprehend' image.

Pointed at Oliver. "The only realities where he has some form of happiness are the ones where he goes through a crucible."

Pointed at Sara. "You could have easily become a vapid drugged up supermodel who would have turned up on more tabloids then your boyfriend in his heyday."

Pointed at Diggle. "You could have easily ended us like Gaynor or Joyner depending on the most minor of things in your past."

Pointed at Thea. "You could have been your father puppet assassin."

Pointed at Roy. "Your great-granddaddy is still alive and planning to take over the world, and you usually either die fighting him among heroes or by his hand when you fail an assignment as a villain."

I went back to eating my pizza as everyone just looked at me eyes bulged.

I swallowed and looked at Thea, no longer smiling. "You asked."

The table just sat in silence for a while, processing what I just said. Eventually, I took a drink of my Sprite and whipped my mouth. "Should I explain?"

Oliver sighed in resignation. "Well, we already jumped into the rabbit hole. Okay, how can my life be WORSE if I wasn't screwed up by my family?"

"I didn't say worse, just… emptier, more vapid and hollow. Worse works as well, but not as often. Look, I am not saying that there aren't realities were we get everything we want. But Paradise Universes are almost nonexistent because they are just so…."

"Boring?" Oliver asked with some hesitation and anger mixed in.

"Implausible, the extreme ends of a standard deviation of normal distribution. People need conflict, they need chaos in life to be better, to become better. Paradise – and their flip side, Hell Universes - are just realities where odds fell in such a way where everything went right or wrong."

"So, realities where things go in the middle are the norm?" Sarah asked with honest curiosity.

"Well they don't go Dante's Inferno wrong, but yes, some flaws are preferred – not too many though. Think of most universes as being in a constant state of trying to achieve a balance, with most succeeding, and the others teetering to various degrees of one side winning."

"So… Like the Balance maintained in the Buffy-verse?" Thea asked, honestly confused and plucking at the closest facsimile of comprehension.

"Yes, actually. Except this universe isn't naturally close to a plethora of Hell Dimensions nor are the forces of Good and Evil some douchebags who go out of their way to cripple heroes when they 'start winning.' Although, the Lords of Order and Chaos are still technically dicks, but not intentionally…."

Everyone tried digesting that statement but were failing.

"So Oliver being happy?" Thea pushed.

I sighed in resignation, knowing this was going to come up.

"Remember how I said that some things and events are more likely to occur than others as realities develop?"

All nods.

"Well, same thing about people within the realities. No matter how different each one goes, more often then not, the same individual within them will have the same base level. Somethings may be different to various degrees from experiences, but the foundation will be the same. RARELY are there significant deviations."

"I don't like what he is building up to," Roy whispered to Thea in worry.

"Tell me, Oliver, would you call your father a… tolerant man? Not an immoral one, but a tolerant one."

Oliver had to pause and consider that, looking at his father's actions without whatever fragments of rose-colored glasses that he had remaining. "No… I would not. Whatever saving graces he had about him were more likely coping mechanisms or camouflage to what he really was. I still digging through the mud I dragged up looking into his dealings when he laid off all those workers after the Royal Flush Gang fiasco."

Everyone noted that Thea didn't disagree.

"Okay, now take everything that you know about him and ask yourself this little question: if you weren't born a boy, how screwed up would you be? And I am not even throwing out sexuality here, but just the simple fact if you were born a girl? Because believe me, Lian Yu may have been a Hell for you, but it was a concentrated one that rebuild you via a crucible. But can you imagine living through something like that for decades during your formative years and not come out broken worse than now?"

I am actually just creating a hypothetical scenario here since I really didn't bother looking into Oliver's potential lives, but the damage to his father made him beyond redemption at this point, so why not end it?

Oliver had cold sweat on his brow. "How bad?"

I leaned back into my chair. "In most, you still become the vigilante, usually archer themed, some you aren't, depends on who finds you first after being disinherited or how you coped. Others you snap and go psychopath, as rare as it is. In a minor few, you end yourself through drugs or the knife, doesn't matter. In the end, while you rise above your past in the realities where you go hero, you are the LEAST broken in the realities where you were born male."

Oliver tried to interject something, but I interrupted. "Let's not start throwing out variables like if Thea was born a boy or if you had an older sibling – it doesn't matter. I gave you my opinion on what I saw, and I am telling you are better off then you realize."

I turned to Sara as she consoled Oliver. "You're slightly similar but in more so that adversity makes you better. When you weren't challenged, and you take the easy road over the hard road, you usually ended up in a vapid profession or loveless marriage because you never grew out of your party ways. Sometimes you had your head on straight and went into law like our sister, but where she favored defense, you went prosecutor. Sometimes you went singer or in entertainment."

That brought a small smile on everyone's face. "Always knew that I was going to end up like a siren."

"More then you realize," I mumbled.

I looked at Diggle, who was thinking about what I said. "Do I need to explain my reasons?"

"No, I can figure out where I could have made the wrong choices."

I nodded, knowing that Diggle was a retrospective man, always going over his actions, especially when he was in Afghanistan.

I turned to Thea who raised her hands in surrender, "Hey, I know I have it better than most, I am NOT going to poke that hornet nest."

Roy raised a finger, "I would like an explanation to my comment about great-granpappy being alive."

I bulldozed through it before anyone got a chance to pile on, which they did try.

"Around 25,000 years ago, a meteor hit the Earth, near a tribe of early humanoids. All but one ran away from the glowing rock. The brave individual slept next to the warm stone for it was winter, and it was cold. When he awoke, and the meteor was cool, he made no comment on it and moved on. As the decades passed, he found that he never aged, and as his siblings and tribemates all grew old and died, but he continued to evolve, both mentally and physically. Eras ended and centuries passed, and the caveman lived on, changing, but leaving his mark in history. He went by many names, some of which I doubt – father of Grendle, Khafre, Alexander the Great, Licinius, Julius Caesar, Genghis Khan, Vlad the Impaler, Blackbeard, Jack the Ripper – and in many lives, he always wished to rule and conquer. But there are two names to him that best exemplify what and who he is that I know are true."

With each name spoken, the team's eyes bulged more and more, but Roy asked. "What are the names?"

"The name he identifies himself with – Vandal Savage – and the first name he was recorded as – Cain."

Oliver couldn't control his shock. "As in…"

"There's always a kernel of truth in any story. In this case, however, Abel was his immortal nemesis who is, chronologically, the first human hero that I am aware of. Has his own form of immortality, but his is through resurrection while Vandal's is just basically immortality to the truest meaning of the word."

I turn to Diggle. "Doesn't A.R.G.U.S have a file on this guy? I know I saw him working with Stalin and I know they have him filed under 'Sasha Mahnovski' somewhere. Hell, he taught Houdini some of his tricks, he is bound to have pictures somewhere."

And on that note, Thea and Sasha were already doing Google searches while Oliver looked at Diggle with the face of something thinking 'what the hell does A.R.G.U.S have files on?'

"Ummm… Above my pay grade?" Diggle defended weekly before shaking his head in confusion. "Better yet, how do you know all this?"

"I did set aside some time just to peruse alternate time streams for this team – did you really think I wouldn't look further ahead or into the past? Speaking of which…" I stated as a question looking at Oliver.

Who only sighed in resignation, knowing where this was going. "I found mentions of one 'Kazumi Adachi' in my… father's… private notes. Well, not an actual name, more like a bunch of odd charges that I managed to backtrack. Her daughter… fits the time frame."

I nodded – Oliver did his job right. Everyone looked at him in shock, Thea less so considering her circumstances.

"Did you look any further?"

"NO!" Shouted Oliver, catching everyone off guard. "I mean, I don't want to rush into it. I going to confirm that she is his daughter first before I attempt to approach her. I have no idea how badly my father screwed them and if that hate carried over."

I nodded. "Good tactic. They were a secret so you wouldn't know, especially since you were kid, so 'sins of the father' and all that. My advice? DO NOT come on a special occasion OR go to the daughter first."

Oliver raised a brow at that.

"Daughter is going to carry the most hate at anyone named Queen, but the mother MAY accept the fact that you were a kid and couldn't have known about them."

"Fair enough," Oliver sighed in relief.

"Got him," Thea interrupted as she shoved her phone to me to see an old image of Houdini in public. "He is always in the background, but only for a few months when Houdini finally got famous."

I looked down, scrunching my eyes, and enlarging the picture. How she caught the goatee bastard I don't know.

"Yeah, that's him."

Thea showed the picture to everyone else.

Sarah paled. "THAT'S Savage?"

I looked on in confusion. "Yeah, why? You saw him befo… Oh shit."

Yeah, my mind caught on faster then my mouth did.

"What? WHAT?" Roy looked back in forth in confusion.

"Do they know?" I asked for confirmation.

Oliver grabbed Sarah's hand in support as she looked around. "They know that the League trained me."

"So they know…"

"I didn't tell them anything else about Ra's… or his secrets."

Actually, now that I am thinking about it… "How come you are still here? Didn't they send agents after you?"

"Right… we never told you," Oliver rubbed his brow. "We sort of traded in Malcolm in her place."

I raised both brows. "He came back for Thea? You know what never, mind. Please, continue Sarah."

She nodded as she went on. "I don't know how many there are, but the world is filled with these… pools of liquids. He calls them the Lazarus Pits. Basically, if used on anyone near death or with grievous injuries, they will emerge healed and younger."

"Don't forget temporarily insane and that it can resurrect the dead," I interrupted.

Sarah couldn't hide her shock. "It can do that!? I thought that was just a rumor."

"Time is a crucial factor – the sooner after death it's done, the better, but the insanity is MUCH stronger and longer."

"Wait," Diggle interjected. "I am guessing this guy has been around for a while because of these pools…"

"Around six hundred years, it's hard to tell, I am only sure that he was born in what is now known as Arabia and before the settling of America."

"Oh, come on!" Sarah said in shock. "Is there anything you don't know? People have died for that information."

"So you knew?"

Sarah sighed. "I dated his daughter, we cuddled, what do you think?"

I gave Oliver a look and deadpanned. "You two must have the best talks after sex."

"FOCUS," Oliver strained to the smirking of Thea and Roy as Diggle chuckled.

"I am just going to skip to the conclusion and say that Savage and Ra's are friends?" I asked, leaning on my arm for balance.

"I guarded them twice in all my years in the League, more as a formality than anything else. They usually talk about 'the good old days' when the strong ruled and people were more in tune with nature. That's of course, after checking to make sure that their operations don't overlap with each other to avoid harming or affecting the other in any detrimental way."

"Ah," I acknowledged. "So they are business partners more than allies. Well, probably due to the fact they are the few individuals in the world that old so they must know each other by circumstance if anything else."

Roy looked up from the image of his ancestor – does ancestor apply if he is still alive? – and raised a brow. "Are there that many out there?"

I scratched my chin. "Well… considering that most creatures of mythology and folklore, including vampires and werewolves, are real to a certain degree, and that _Homo magi_ and magical practitioners live on average longer then normal humans, the number of individuals who COULD live longer than a century is not small, but is marginal compared to the total population of the planet. This is also not counting meta-humans of old or Demi-humans and their deity parents or parent."

Thea banged her head on the table. "Why is getting an answer from you just raise more question that demand answering?"

I couldn't help – I chuckled. "Because I've seen behind the curtain, and it is GLORIOUS! BOW BEFORE THE WIZARD OF OZ!"

Digger smiled. "So _Homo magi_ are what, human with magic?"

I shrugged. "Pretty much. Don't know how it started – a group of people living close to Ley Line intersections, random mutation, some Lord of Order or Chaos got frisky with the natives, Zeus banged a bit too much, etc. In any case, it usually links back to Atlantis since most living _Homo magi_ descendent from them."

"ATLANTIS IS REAL!?" the table members shouted.

"Real and thriving, especially with their new king. When you get the chance, look up Arthur Curry from Amnesty Bay."

"Dammit it Barry," Oliver sighed in resignation as he paved his hair back with his hands in exasperation. "Anything else we should be aware of? The birth of my firstborn son? The identity of Batman? An upcoming alien invasion? The answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything?"

Oh, now he was just asking for it.

I raised a finger for each answer. "In order: your firstborn is usually a girl, Bruce Wayne, in Metropolis, and the Life Equation."

Silence….

"Bruce Wayne is Batman?" Roy asked in shock before smiling. "Sweet, I won the pool."

"THAT's what you got from that?" Thea chided.

"What? I've seen how much it costs Oliver to fund his stuff – it made sense when considering who is rich enough to afford such a lifestyle in Gotham."

I clapped, "And proof that common sense truly is a gift not to be wasted. How the hell hasn't anyone else in Gotham figure this out, I'll never know."

"You've seen how Wayne acts in public right?" Diggle asked with a raised brow.

"I call your bet and raise you one Oliver Queen." I deadpanned.

Pause. "Damn it."

Everyone couldn't help but laugh at that. Hindsight truly is a lovely thing.

"Speaking of Batman…" interrupted Sarah with worry, still looking at her phone. "Seems like Bats is in a pickle."

This caught my attention. "What happened?"

"What's _happening_ a better phrase. Seems like Joker is live-streaming a challenge to Nightwing to come rescue his boss and new protégé."

I froze, anger leaking in my voice. "Is he now? Tell me… what has Jack Napier done now?"

"Okay, whose name DON'T you know?" Thea almost shouted.

I couldn't help but momentarily smirk. "Spoilers. So what is the Joker up to?"

"Seems like he captured the duo, hogtied them up in a factory he modified to be a death 'Ninja Warrior' course, and is basically calling out Nightwing to come and rescue them without his gear. WOAH! He did not skim out – he even managed to bring in some sort of scanner to make sure it IS Nightwing and not some shapeshifter."

I whistled at that. "Didn't see that coming. Seems like Joker pulled out the big guns. _Still…"_

Oliver looked at me in concern. "Are you planning to _end_ him?"

Everyone gave me a _look_. Unlike Batman and his family, the Arrow Family at least understood that killing in this field is unavoidable. Not to say that Oliver isn't being wrong in NOT killing anymore, but the point remains.

"Oh NO NO NO, nothing so pedestrian," I smirked, lightning slowly starting to form around me, a suit creating in its place.

Oliver and others couldn't help but become wide eye and slowly but evidently look up at my new visage. " **I have something much grander and cruel reserved for him."**

They watched as I disappeared, no trail or wind indicating that I sped away.

The tension was in the air, everyone was silent…

"So who was the bank in the pool?"

Collective facepalm. _Damn it, Roy._

* * *

Nightwing stood on top of the building, rain pouring from the grim Gotham skyline.

He didn't want to come back, but the Joker left him no choice.

He had issues with Bruce, the wounds still fresh, but he had no bad blood with Tim. But still, to get a new sidekick, so soon after Jason….

No Dick, don't pick at that scab.

Focus, Dick, FOCUS.

Barbara was out – she left the city on vacation with her dorm friends.

Commissioner couldn't get involved, or else Joker would skip the shebang and just drop them.

Calling Bruce's friends…. Oh, who was he kidding, Batman didn't have friends. Superman is still pissed at how Bruce found his identity.

And in all the ironies, Joker went ahead and became as paranoid as Bruce with the uber-scanner.

Okay, Dick had nothing against MAYBE getting some enhancements to deal with the more extreme threats he physically couldn't handle. He wasn't as prideful as Bruce in that regard, and he didn't have money to splurge on mech-suits and gadgets.

But come on, a scanner that can detect nanobots AND confirm it's him on a molecular level? Hell, if Joker already had a blood sample of his to work with, he would just run it through the registry and…

You know what, no point going down that rabbit hole, just thank the stars that Joker is _just_ insane enough to not consider it.

But still…

Joker showboating the live stream around his deranged factory of claustrophobic doom did not fil Dick with much hope.

He was good, there was no denying that. He was trained and conditioned to be the pinnacle of what the normal human body can be, just a bit behind Bruce due to lack of height and muscle mass.

But this?

Unsteady moving platforms variating in height, random spikes, flamethrowers, projectiles, live and exposed wiring, and so forth.

If it weren't for the overkill, Dick would call it a demented course from 'Ninja Warrior' gone up to 11.

[Dick was still annoyed that the directors of the show never get close enough to Bludhaven for him to try out. Oh sure, they pass by Metropolis for Superman – and oddly enough, Lex Luthor – to try out, but not Gotham for Batman? Douchebags.]

Even with tools, Dick's chances were slim. But no gear, just his suit, and no enhancements?

This was starting to look like a suicide ru…

Why did the rain stop?

Dick came back out of his thinking when he realized that he stopped feeling the sensation of rain on his skin. It was only when he started looking around that he realized that not only has the rain stopped, but EVERYTHING stopped.

The live stream, the sounds of the street, the lightning…. Sweet mercy, the flash was frozen in the sky.

 _ **STEP**_

Dick heard an echoing of a footstep. In panic due to sensory deprivation, he took out his sticks.

 _ **STEP**_

Another step echoed, much closer this time. Adrenaline coursing through his veins, Dick prepared to face whatever or WHOEVER created this… this…. world stop.

 _ **STEP**_

" **Greetings Nightwing."**

Dick looked up as the sound of the voice was actually from ABOVE him. He couldn't help but gasp and bulge his eyes, seeing the being above him STAND ON THE FLOATING RAINDROPS.

Dick has faced many crazy supervillains, but this? This took the cake.

Although it was aesthetically pleasing to see drops of rain frozen in the air with the light refraction creating…

FOCUS DICK!

Not putting down the sticks, Dick pressed on. "Hello. And who might you be?"

" **Hahaha. As paranoid as the teacher I see. Good – paranoia is only wrong when they** _ **aren't**_ **out to get you** _ **…"**_

['Oh great, another Bruce.' Muttered Dick.]

"… **and considering the number of loved ones and friends average superheroes or vigilante have, more should be as concerned about their identity as the Bat Clan. But I digress. As to my name? It matters not in this situation, but I hope my emblem is illuminating as to who I work with?"**

Dick followed the figures pointing hand toward his…

"You're with Lightning and Thunder? Can you prove… you know what, rhetorical question. Granted, freezing time takes it up a notch to how fast Lightning can go." Dick put away his sticks, his concern satiated.

Thunder and Lighting did excellent work in Central City. They weren't as aggressive on crime as Batman was, but they weren't as flaunting in their disregard of police procedure when handling evidence and criminals.

The figure chuckled. " **Yes, my two associates are rather… memorable. And to be fair, we all represent a different aspect of the same power, but that is neither here nor there. We just happen to specialize our skills. Most people have a preference for one thing or another."**

"True. Any reason you don't get involved?"

The figure waved his arm to display the city. " **Look around you. My power is too much for simple day-to-day crimes. It would be akin to burning down a forest for a simple infected tree. Besides, I have only recently returned from my excursion in the wider expanse. It was just fortuitous that** _ **the clown**_ **happened to plaster his face on the networks at the moment of my return."**

"Yeah, he does that," Dick added his two cents. "Attention seeking bastard."

" **If I were Freudian, I would have gotten into a rather prodigious discussion on his** _ **fixations**_ **but time – pardon my pun – is of the essence."**

Nightwing finally finished lowering his sticks. "You are going to save Batman for me?"

The figure smiled – even with his mask hiding his face – before waving a finger. **"Au contraire, it is, in fact, you who will be doing the rescuing. I have only come to... even the field as it were."**

Before Dick had a chance to ask, the figure waved his hand, producing what Dick could identify as an arrow, one with a very fancy golden arrowhead.

" **Your teacher's hesitation in** _ **improving**_ **himself in, shall we say, beyond normal parameters is well known. Little gadgets and physical conditioning can only go so far against certain threats, especially those coming in the future. I commend him – you as well – considering your adversaries and adventures in the years in which you have arisen triumphant. But there is a time and place for pride and a time and place for pragmatism."**

Dick flinched at the tone of the figure's voice, something he hasn't done since Bruce reprimanded him during one of his last screw-ups.

Still….

"What exactly are you suggesting?" Dick inquired, putting the proverbial toe in the water.

" **I have acquired many means of enhancing individuals during my travels. Some are extreme, based in complete rewriting your genetic being. Some are less so, such as tools, raw materials and new teachings that even Batman would have considered incorporating into his repertoire. I was always, however, partial to methods involving the spirit and mysticism."**

"Pardon?" Dick was not unfamiliar with the magical arts – Bruce dalliance with Zatanna was informative in more than just their bedroom escapades.

Dick still had to force Bruce to soundproof the master bedroom.

Alfred suggested an excellent pair of noise-canceling headphones, which frankly, raised too many flags in Dick's mind to inquire about.

" **In the most laymen of terms, I would like to unlock a power within you, one linked solely to your being. No DNA rewriting, no nanobots making bones and muscles denser, no psychic enhancements, no alteration of your physical form of any kind. Think of it as a Qi or Chi techniques, something any human can acquire with enough dedication and practice. You don't even have to use the power if it doesn't suit you."** Shrugged the figure nonchalantly.

That… was not a bad deal. Sure, Dick wasn't _as_ against getting powers as Bruce was, but he _could_ live with it if it weren't going to be hindersome or noticeable in any way. Hell, he could make a case of it being something akin to a long lost martial arts technique - who was he to deny a free upgrade?

"What's the catch?" Dick glared in concern.

" **No catch. Well, maybe one – I don't know what power you will get."**

"Pardon?"

The figure spun the arrow between his fingers. " **The arrow is rather… picky… about who it grants power, since all it does is trigger the process to unlock it. The power will be the best representation of your soul, your guardian if you will, one that will** _ **stand**_ **by your side and aide you. But I have no idea what it will be, hence my statement about not using it if you choose not to."**

Dick considered the offer, one that he would be stupid to ignore due to the lack of cons.

" **There are** _ **some**_ **rules to actually using the power and it carries its own set of weaknesses, but we will get to that. We have more than enough** _ **time**_ **on our hands to iron out the quirks of whatever you get in the superpower lottery."**

Frankly, Dick was low on options. There _was_ an infinitesimal chance that Dick was about to sign a deal with a Devil, but…

It was for family.

Bruce was there for him, he raised him to be the man he was, he – dare he say it – rescued him from the pit he was digging himself into.

As much as Dick hated him for allowing Barbara to become a vigilante, he acted too hotheadedly at the time. It was her choice to join Batman, and he gave her all the chances to back out.

She confirmed as much when he finally answered her calls.

So yes, Dick would sign a deal just for a chance to save the man he called 'father.'

With a determined look on his brow, Dick looked up. "I'll take it."

The figures smile was practically sinful as he tossed the arrow for Dick to catch. " **We have an accord."**

It was only when the arrow was in Dick's hand when he realized he _may_ have forgotten to ask something rather important.

Dick started blacking out from the pain and screaming when the arrow became like a snake and pierced into his arm, slowly moving up ti via the veins and arteries into his brain.

" **Oh, did I forget to mention that it** _ **will**_ **hurt?"**

* * *

"Where in the world is black and blue nincompoop? It's been an hour since I made my announcement!"

Harley looked in concern as her Pudding marched and paced back and worth, the trigger to the trap mechanism in his palms being nearly crushed. "Mr. J, maybe you should calm down a little. I mean, Nightwing is commuting from Bludhaven."

Joker stopped and exaggeratedly thought about that. "Good point… 5 MORE MINUTES BEFORE THE DYNAMIC DUO BECOMES FRICASEEMED AND SPLATTERED!"

The said duo was hanging on the top floor in the Joker's observation control room, masks and capes still on.

And Alfred said the defenses against removal were too much! Sans belts though, Joker got around them at least – something for the board to work on next.

They looked like Houdini impersonators except in links of chains instead of straitjackets.

Robin chuckled – covering his worry – as he stared at Batman. "Nightwing is coming, right Batman? I mean, he wouldn't just abandon us."

Batman's glare just intensified, his brooding hiding his thoughts.

In Tim's defense, Bruce was trying to figure out how to escape on his own, but Joker decided to play it safe – too safe.

Joker was many things, but he never thought things through to such a degree.

Batman was about to try once more when…

BAM!

Everyone looked to the camera at the entrance of the factory, far away from the 'main event.'

Joker smiled, quickly gliding on his wheeled chair to the desk, ready to start his 'fun.'

Joker clicked a button as the screen at the front changed, showing a close up of his face. "Well well well, seems like the black and blue bird actually managed to make it time. Hope we didn't interrupt anything, what with your hair out."

That… confused the duo. Dick was many things, but he was fasciitis about his looks, never keeping the hair too long to avoid enemies from grabbing it.

Barbara still wouldn't cut hers short.

But Bruce was not one to be refused.

So seeing Nightwing with shoulder-length hair that must have avoided the barber for months confused Batman and made him think that Dick did _something_.

"…Remember the rules, pretty boy. Belts, gadgets, toys, and sticks, all in the bin!"

Batman tuned back in to see a case come out of the metal-detector-like contraption into which Dick put everything in – no fuss, no sleight of hand, NOTHING.

Nothing but a smirk.

"OOOH, I know that look, you think you pulled one over old Mr. J! WELL TOUGH LUCK!" Joker slammed a button on his desk with a fist. "Into the scanner you go, and pray that you are who you are."

Again, no hesitation, Dick walked through the scanner, smirking, allowing its lasers to shine and cover him without worry.

Harley looked at her monitors. "Huh…"

Joker smiled ear to ear, hoping the boy wonder tried to get one over him. "Oh? Did pretty bird went ahead and 'roided up' for the big sports event?"

"No, it's not that Pudding. Just… the ages of the blood and sidekick supreme there don't synch up."

Joker frowned at that, annoyed. "BAH! We froze the damn blood to preserve it just for the occasion. Couldn't even get a smidgen to run tests on."

"Huh… so Joker DID want to run the registry," Robin whispered to Batman.

Even Batman had a somewhat mental sigh of relief.

Others question his paranoia, but it doesn't take much to end him in his civilian identity. One wrong move and Deadshot could be snipping him in the forehead during a board meeting, and he wouldn't even suspect it.

But that still raised the question of why the ages didn't match.

"So… Boy Wonder Deluxe came in in mint condition. And here I thought you were going to cheat your way through."

Nightwing, more focused and determined than ever, stifled his smirk, walked up to the marked 'starting' line – the big red button podium kind of gave it away. "Let's just get is over with, clown face."

"OOOH, testy aren't we? Well, your funeral."

Taking that as the cue, Nightwing slammed the button, practically shattering it.

As everyone watched him race through he demented obstacle course, Joker had to ask. "I thought you said he had no enhancements?"

Harley raised her brows in confusion and shrugged. "Maybe the wood was flimsy? I mean, the blood work matches. There are no modifications to it, no hormones, no drugs, no mutagens – NOTHING to indicate he decided to 'upgrade' himself."

"THEN WHY THE HELL IS HE SO DAMN STRONG NOW?!" As if to make a point, Nightwing proceeded to practically fly over the Warped Wall.

Harley scratched her head. "Adrenaline?"

Robin giggled to himself, "Adrenaline my ass, Nightwing is just that good."

Bruce would refute that, but in all fairness, Bruce made him the best he could be. Sure, Dick may not know as many martial arts as he did nor was he a polymath like he was, but Dick didn't have that same single-mindedness that Bruce possessed.

In Bruce's eyes, that was a blessing.

Bruce was not blind to his flaws – he didn't admit them, but he was aware of them. The lack of trust, the paranoia, the contingency plans, the child sidekicks… these were not healthy characteristics to have and made him every psychoanalyst's wet dream.

And these are not the things he desires in his successors.

Dick was everything that Batman was but with that little something that Bruce simply no longer had. He would never truly replace him when his time would come, but Dick – no – Richard would be a better Batman.

Too bad that bridge was burne…

"Hey Pudding, seems like the pretty bird is finally stumped," cheered a glazed eye Harley.

Batman zoned out during his thoughts, but he was aware that Dick managed to progress rather well through the obstacle course, scratches and blood notwithstanding.

But past the slides, jumps, Bridge of Blades, and Devil Steps, Nightwing managed to get himself stuck on an elevated island in the middle of what appears to be a death zone.

Lasers, blades, spikes, anything, and everything was aimed at him, ready to fire.

Joker just smiled, finger over a button, his demented visage appearing on a monitor closest to where Nightwing was gathering his breath. "Any last words, _baby_ wing? Or are you perhaps going to take the proverbial fall and attempt to fly?"

Nightwing… smiled. To the shock of the four watching – the live stream has long ago been _diverted_ elsewhere without them realizing – Nightwing regained his breath and stood tall.

"You know what Joker? Maybe I will."

"Pardon?"

Nightwing walked over to the edge, back turned, arms spread, "All birds got to fly, and I personally consider myself to be a rather spirited…"

Before he had the chance to finish, Joker pressed the button in rage, but Nightwing caught the motion, having already jumped off as everything fired.

Robin shouted in shock, "NO!"

But to the shock of the viewers, a single phrase was heard, a completion to what he was saying.

" **FREE BIRD."**

And they watched in shock as a figured blurred on the monitor, seemingly flying straight up to the ceiling, bypassing all the hazards and most of the course.

Nightwing LANDED on the ceiling akin to a superhero - knee down, ground cracked - before standing up and presented himself. "Hey Joker? TA-DA!"

"No…" growled the Clown Prince of Crime. "No, No, NO, NONO! YOU CHEATED! I SAID NO ENHANCEMENTS! NO ALTERATIONS!"

"Ah ah ah," Nightwing mocked, waving finger back and forth. "But I am not cheating. What I am doing is simply… an extension of something that all humans naturally have. I may have cheated in getting access to it, but it's something anyone can achieve and that I am happy to have on my side."

And Nightwing proceeded to continue the race to the Jokers anger, jumping from surface to surface, wall to ceiling, running on them all like a human-sized spider. And how the hell was he propelling himself forward like that and changing direction mid-air?

"Batman, did you think…?" Robin started to ask in wonder.

"I don't know, but whatever it is, he isn't flying," glared Batman, analyzing whatever ability Dick has acquired while attempting to undo his chains now that Joker and Harley were sufficiently distracted, what with the smashed keyboards and shouting and broken monitors.

"What makes you say that?"

"His hair."

Robin raised a brow. "What about it?"

"Whatever direction he propels toward, whatever surface he sticks to, his hair follows the same directionality."

"So?"

Bruce sighed mentally; while Tim was by far the most intelligent of his protégés, he had yet acquired the ability to notice the little things necessary for investigating.

"If his body still followed the normal pull of gravity, his hair would ALWAYS point downwards towards the floor."

Robin processed that before the proverbial lightbulb went off in his head. "Wait… so he isn't violating the laws of gravity? WHOO (sigh of relief)! And here I was debating where he was getting the energy to bypass who know how many physics restrictions – moving his gravitational directionality makes SO much more sense."

Batman couldn't help but look at Robin in shock – apparently, he was closer to the right answer then he realized. Something to practice at a later date.

"It would explain why he needs to create an anchor."

"Anchor?"

Robin tilted his head, "Watch, every time he changes directions, he either looks that way or waves his arm, as if he is throwing something we can't see. Which would explain the reflections."

Batman undid the hand locks. "What did you see?"

Having trained under real magicians and studying the occult – plus that dick Constantine – Bruce was more than open to the notion of spirits and the supernatural.

"I don't know, but every time he passes by a mirror or broken glass, there seems to be something… standing by his side."

Before Batman could process that statement, Nightwing finally broke through the floor, literally in this case, as he managed to procure a rather massive spike and fly his up straight to the top, piercing into the control chamber.

Joker and Harley armed themselves – he with his gun and Harley with her mallet – as Nightwing landed.

And he turned away from them, walking towards Batman and Robin.

"Guys, you okay?"

"Peachy," smiled Robin. "Now please get us down before we get a chemical bath."

Nightwing chuckled, "Sure thing kid."

"Oh no, you don't" Joker shouted, raising a remote. "One wrong step, I press the button, and OOPS, Batsy gets a bleach job… Oh, and his sidekick too."

Nightwing ignored him, walking forward.

"Hey, didn't you hear me? I said…"

"I heard you, it's just that you are no longer my problem," Nightwing stated.

No smile, no emotion, just a statement of fact.

"Come again?" Joker asked in confusion.

Nightwing was putting on his gear – which Harley received earlier on from the conveyor delivery system - when he spoke out loud. "A deal is a deal. I survived, and Batman is still chained up."

Batman's eyes bulged. "Nightwing, what did YOU DO!?"

Nightwing remained serious, "I made a deal with the devil."

"Oh come now, he isn't so bad," a new voice shouted from above, causing everyone sans Nightwing to look up.

"Granted, he is the serious, brooding one," another voice interjected.

"Whose there? SHOW YOURSELF!?" Joker shouted in confusion, turning side to side, trying to pinpoint the voice.

But it was too late. A figure speed through the floor, yellow lightning following, as he punched out the Joker while grabbing the remote and shattering it in his hand. "Oopsy! Sorry didn't know my own strength."

"Now, now, let's not be so hasty," added a red-figure as he brought Harley to her knees before using her own mallet as a restrainer to keep her in place, his already superior strength helping along the way. "This way, Batman won't interfere."

"THUNDER! LIGHTNING!" shouted Robin in shock. "What are you two doing here?"

"Oh, don't mind us," Thunder stated menacingly. "We are just here to… make sure the mess is cleaned up."

"NO!" shouted Bruce. "Nightwing, how could you?! I taught you bet…"

"You did teach me better," interrupted Nightwing. "which is why I made sure the choice was right!"

" **Indeed, his options were rather limited at the time, but I believe he managed to wrangle out a passable deal,"** stated a third voice.

And to everyone's surprise, there was what appeared to be a white flash before a new figure stood before them, in all his pale glory.

[I already have a theme going here, so if you could play 'Awaken (Pillar Men Theme),' please do, it sets the mood a little.]

Tall and very well-built did not begin to describe the male figure walking up to the Joker.

A Grecian statue wet dream, this figure wore the same costume as Thunder and Lightning but had a white color scheme with yellow lightning highlights. But unlike their costumes, his was practically painted on. Every muscle, every flex, every twitch was clearly visible on the figures massive yet lean frame. Like a gazelle made bipedal, this was a body designed for one thing and one thing only – survival. No muscle wasted, no movement hindered, no muscles bulged for a masculine display of strength. This was a figure chiseled out of rock designed only to conquer the hunt.

Like a predator playing with his prey, the figure approached the clown.

"Oh look, what do we have here? Another little vigilante playing hero?"

" **Hardly, I leave my associates with the pleasure of playing heroes. Speaking of which, is it done?"**

"Ivy is prepped and ready," started Lightning.

"All her gear and research is ready to go when you are finished here," finished Thunder.

" **Good,"** stated the figure before looking back at the clown. " **Oh, where are my manners, I have yet to introduce myself. My name… is Shunkan."**

"Hey, I thought you were going to follow the script," whined Lightning.

" **Believe me, I considered it. But calling myself Dio was just too presumptuous and invited retribution from others. Speaking of which, Nightwing? How did it go?"**

On command, an aura seemed to appear around Nightwing, as ANOTHER figure appeared by his side.

Said figure was an anthropomorphized bluebird, with razor-sharp talon claws, wings on its back, feathers dropping and floating in the air, and scars, oh so many scars on it.

" **Ah, so FREE BIRD can appear to others should you desire. Interesting… a welcoming change to the usual parameters. I watched your traversal – you've learned much during your training."**

"Well, having 3 months of uninterrupted time would do that…"

["3 months?" Robin shouted in surprise before looking to Batman. "Where did he have the time?"]

"…but, you kept your word. I fulfilled my end."

Shunkan smiled underneath his mask. **"Yes, the deal. You are a fortunate soul, Joker."**

"Really, how so?"

" **Because were it not for Nightwing's pleading, I would be gripping your still-beating heart in my hand right about now."**

Joker gulped, "Is that so?"

" **Yes,** " growled Shunkan. **"Believe me, he put up much resistance when I made my offer: the power to save his loved ones and the time to train to do so for your life. Oh, did he fight for it. Batman here managed to pound and carve that noble lesson into his skull before he flew the coop."**

Batman continued to glare at Nightwing as his birdman figure disappeared from sight, still wondering what the hell he agreed to.

" **He did, however, allow me to change the terms to 'ending the Joker's reign' which he more than agreed to**."

"WHAT?! THAT'S THE SAME THING!"

" **Oh, on the contrary Joker, it gives you** _ **options.**_ **Door number one, the easy way – I kill you**."

Clown damn near soiled himself from the sheer nonchalance and factualness behind that statement.

" **Door number two – you break. Shatter your legs, remove your arms, paralyze you, matters not. You continue to live and breathe but become nothing more than a deadweight to whoever agrees to work with you in the future should they desire."** To make a point, Shunkan pulled out a crowbar from out of nowhere. **"Nightwing recommended that I use THIS to carry out that option."**

The subtext behind that was not lost on anyone.

" **And my personal favorite, Door number three**."

"What can be worse than number two?"

The crowbar disappeared as a bill bottle appeared in its place. " **I give you these pills and release you."**

Joker froze. "Pardon? What can possibly be in those pills?"

The figure shrugged, **"Not much – you can consider them as a recreational drug. You take them, and you gain a new world perspective for an undetermined amount of time. I can promise you that the man known as the Joker will leave this place safe, unharmed, and most assuredly alive – Nightwing made me promise that."**

You could see Joker thinking it over. Crazy he was, but he couldn't see the lousy deal here for door three. He was already insane, changing personalities on a whim daily and in turn his world perspective. Worst he can get is a bad acid trip. Besides, what sane man desires to die or be a cripple?

"Sold, door number three it is," cackled Joker as he grabbed the pill bottle and chugged it down.

Nightwing eyes bulged, "Wow Lightning, I thought you were joking about your mastery in electricity, but I was not expecting this."

Batman, Robin, Harley, and Joker – who stopped mid swallow – turned to the yellow figure in shock. "What," was all the clown manage to say as his pupils dilated.

Lightning chuckled as he waved his hand and summoned small streaks of lightning. "Told ya. Generating a weak enough electrical potential that spreads through the air to trigger the human limbic system is tricky but not impossible. Useless in a group setting since it affects everyone, but when you want to trigger the part of the brain to make rash decisions and remove mental restraints? Oh, it's priceless! You wouldn't believe how easy it is to get confessions out of people when their own natural body mechanism betrays them."

Before Joker could call bullshit, he seized up, grabbing his heart and fell to the floor in agony and pain. Harley started screaming for her Pudding, but Thunder quickly knocked her out with a well-placed neck chop.

"You…said… you wouldn't… kill me," wheezed Joker.

Shunkan stood standing, arms crossed. **"And I won't. That little bottle you took? A little something concocted to... cure the world of the Joker. Believe me, I debated just outright removing your ability to laugh or feel dopamine as a form of karmic retribution, but Nightwing argued that it would just cause you to go on the equivalent of a bender and no one wants that."**

Batman and Robin, having escaped at this point, looked at Nightwing who shrugged. "I might despise the man with every breath he takes, but I am not the judge, jury, and executioner – you taught me better than that. Crippling him, however? Well, you've chastised me for greater offenses."

Batman sighed in both relief and resignation. "I… can accept that. I just…."

"Feared the worst, I know," interrupted Nightwing. "I am honestly surprised you didn't do it accidentally before now."

" **To be fair, Joker DOES have a healing factor, so it wouldn't have done much. Still, the world doesn't need Joker to muck it up, so I did the next best thing: the cure to insanity."**

"BULLSHIT!" screamed a hoarse Joker. To the shock those watching not in the know, his pale skin began to regain its color, and his hair began to darken.

" **Oh, but I can. You see, your form of insanity is specifically chemical-based, meaning that removing the effects from your system is more than enough to reduce you back to the normal human setting. How else do you think you regenerate so fast from your beatings and develop a natural immunity to Joker Gas?"**

"Huh, and here I thought he just played around with chemicals too much," Robin added.

" **That he did, but the initial exposure as Red Hood is what allowed him to go so far."** Shunkan corrected, watching the man known as the Joker finally pass out, now with standard human pigmentation and brown hair. " **And as promised, the man KNOWN as the Joker remains, alive and unharmed – in the long term at least. I would put him under watch for a while – a lot of big wigs in Gotham are about to blow a gasket that their golden goose is no more."**

Nightwing looked up from applying the cuffs to 'Joker' in confusion, "Big wigs?"

"You ever wonder why Joker never got a death penalty?" Thunder interjected. "I mean, it's odd – this is a man who has literally killed thousands of people if not more. Sure, the rest of Batman's Rogue Gallery has killed, but their numbers barely reach the double digits or collectively the triple digits. This is without Zsasz of course, since we consider him a serial killer psychopath, not a supervillain."

Robin and Nightwing nodded at that together. "Fair enough."

Lightning jumped in. "Yeah, so we had a friend of our look into it, and every time Joker went on a splurge, insurance companies and their subsidiaries made a killing. Most of the profit comes by purchasing properties destroyed by Joker's outings and then flipping them after the city repairs them. And it's only for Joker – every time someone else got loose, it was usually singular targets and with a purpose, or it affected aspects of Gotham outside their 'protection' or purview. This was evident with Ivy, who targets global corporation who just happened to have office in Gotham. Despite having such high crime statistics and known supervillains, Gotham is actually booming in regards to businesses, research centers, and new families."

That caught Batman's interest. "How so? I doubt that my presence is such a deterrent against enhanced individuals."

"You serve as the proverbial guard dog and we prefer the term meta-humans. You see, the gangs, cartels, and mobs have long ago made Gotham their home and have set DEEP roots. You are like a weed wacker, removing the worst of it and keeping the conscious criminals deep underground to avoid catching your ire. Frankly, it reminds us a little of what is happening in Japan with the yakuza: you can't remove the criminal element, but you can damn well regulate and control it."

"In any case," Thunder continued Lightning's train of thought. "Any enhanced would have to get through the already present criminal elements. And unlike you, they have no trouble ending a threat to their profit margin. And no offense, but you keep things so 'low-key' here that city-smasher threats have no reason to come, instead gravitating toward Metropolis to face Superman. Meaning that unlike Metropolis with their continually changing skyline and architecture to draw in tourists…"

"The buildings and city in Gotham aren't going to suddenly be destroyed in a single day, drawing in business." Batman finally caught on. "So the insurance rates would make a killing every time someone DID break out. But since my villains prefer mass panic or targeting rich targets like banks and museums, not suburbs or the less expensive districts, the only one who did civilian damage is…"

" **No longer an issue. FYI, I think Superman damages Metropolis buildings on purpose – he knows that Lex Luthor owns most of Metropolis and I think it's his little passive-aggressive away of getting back at him."**

Batman raised a brow.

" **Metropolis has had so many of these scenarios that their evacuation drills are the best in the world. By the time Superman arrives to deal with the threat, most surrounding offices are abandoned, and Superman makes sure to divert the villain away from those that aren't. If he happens to divert said villains to buildings that are part of or owned by Lex Corp. well, who is he to control what they smash?"**

Robin chuckled at that. "Nice. Knew that Boy Scout must have had a bad bone somewhere in there."

"HA! More like Blue Boy needs to be creative with his outlets. We are talking about a man here who has confirmed X-Ray Vision, super-hearing, and I am willing to bet a virgin or at least someone who doesn't get laid often enough for stress relief – DON'T GIVE ME THAT LOOK BATMAN!" Lightning shouted.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, everyone but the Batman laughed at that. "You joking?" Nightwing asked after putting down the comatose 'Joker.'

"I shit you not, when you think about it, I think his image is sort of like a big overcompensation. I am not saying he isn't a believer in Truth, Justice, and American Apple Pie way, but if I grew up with the ability to hear and see every dirty little thing and activities happening around me, I would do everything to distance myself from that voyeur description, even turn it into a healthy outlet if possible," chucked Thunder.

['That explains so much it's actually funny in hindsight,' thought Batman, wondering about Clark's reason to go into journalism.]

"And the virgin part?"

"Can you stay completely in control of your strength when you are in the throes of passion?" deadpanned Lightning.

"Point," answered Robin, catching everyone looking at him. "What? I go to school, and I have access to the internet, I know what happens between two – or more - adults."

" **Yes… Gideon has commented on your search history at length. "**

Robin palled at that. "Wait, your friend is… Oh, no…"

" **Oh yes, Gideon is our friend. Batman, please give your kid the Talk when you get the chance – his search history gives me concerns."**

The Bat Family had a collective mental shutdown.

" **Well, we don't want to interrupt you three, so we will be on our way."**

And in another white flash, the three speedsters, Harley, and the 'Joker' disappeared.

"So, are we going to talk about the elephant in the room?"

"Depends, Dick. Are you referring to your new powers, the fact you 'killed' Joker, or Robin's sexual preference?"

"I didn't kill the Joker, I just removed him from the playing board – along with probably Ivy and Harley, and I made sure he didn't kill them either. Said he had plans for them. As for Tim, I figured you would just toss him toward Alfred like you did with me when I couldn't figure out which team I preferred."

"I am right here, you know."

"I know Tim, but I also know you are living the same crazy life I did when I lived with Bruce, so odds are you are going to follow the same road markers. Am I wrong?"

"… You aren't." sighed Tim in resignation.

"Good. As for my power… Shunkan calls it a Stand, since it literally 'stands by your side.' Basically it's your life energy and fighting spirit manifesting in the real world. It's technically magical in nature with heavy spiritual and will-power overtones. The process to acquire it is not for everyone since it can kill those with a weak perception of self. He sort of stopped time to let me practice with it, one month for every person he 'saves.' It would have been four, but I finally managed to get comfortable enough with FREE BIRD to rescue you guys."

"And the power allows you to defy gravity by changing its direction for you?"

"Within reason, Bruce. For one, my Stand FREE BIRD – no, I didn't pick the name – has to mark something with a tossed feather for me to change the downward pull of gravity. It can plant multiple feathers in an environment so I can change on a whim, but the target better be stationary, or else my gravity direction will change with the new placement of the object. I can also have a pull from multiple directions as ones, but the strength of the pulls won't change since I can't affect the strength of gravity itself. I CAN cause gravity for other objects and people to change, but I have to mark them first, and it is more draining. It is also inherently more risky for the living target."

"How so?"

"Well Tim, the effect is continuous, without a range limit that I am aware of, and only I can see the feathers, meaning that if the effected isn't careful and their new pull of gravity happens to be the sky with nothing to stop them…"

Tim's eyes bulged. "Yikes. Floating away suddenly takes a very dark tone to it."

"Anything else?" Batman inquired.

"The Stand is invisible, intangible, and invulnerable to harm by normal human standards. We are also linked in more ways than just our senses. Any damage taken by either is reflected by the other. Shunkan said that only another Stand user can harm another, but considering that I was able to summon mine to be seen by others, I doubt that this particular weakness is as adhered as he expected."

"So possible weakness to being seen and harmed by magic users?"

Nightwing shrugged. "Probably."

Batman paused. "Can anyone duplicate the method to get a Stand?"

"Nope," Nightwing popped the 'p.' "He has a special one a kind ceremonial arrow to do it. Why, interested?"

"Would I get to choose the power?" smirked Batman.

"Nah, completely random. Shunkan said the Stands powers are sort of a reflection of who you are as a person. Since I grew up mostly in the air during my time in the circus and with my bird theme, well… you get where I am going. Besides, you getting a superpower?"

"The way I see it, it IS an extension of what a baseline human is capable of, NOT something that alters me on the base level."

"He did say he had other methods to grant others powers, but he admitted that those methods are more extreme, even if the powers are much more powerful."

"Speaking of the guy, what's with the name – Shunkan?" Tim got a word in.

"It Japanese. Means 'moment' or 'moment in time.' Considering his powers, it seems somewhat appropriate."

"Huh. So Moment, Lightning, and Thunder – fits the theme at least," pondered Tim. "What about Ivy and Harley?"

"Said he has a place for them to recover away from – and I quote – Man's World."

* * *

Shunkan, Thunder, and Lightning appeared before a confused Diana and Hippolyta, floating in the air to avoid pissing them off and break the island law.

By their sides were Ivy and Harley, both passed out with A LOT of luggage by Ivy's side.

" **These two need a place to rest and recover. The blond has been systematically abused and manipulated by a deranged man and needs a strong woman's touch to rebuild her. The redhead is one blessed with abilities similar to Demeter who seeks an untainted land to recover and rein in her gifts. We believed Themyscira to be the perfect place for them. Antío kai na échete mia oraía méra!"**

The three figures disappeared after gently the two villainesses on the soft beaches.

Diana and Hippolyta just stared in confusion until the younger finally worded her confusion.

"WHAT IN TARTARUS…?!"

* * *

"Questions for later." Concluded Batman.

Tim looked at the conflicted older members of his family. "So… recovery and dinner at the Batcave… like old times?"

Nightwing looked at a stoic Batman before smirking, "It's a start."

Batman waited for the two to turn around before matching a smirk, thankful for the chance to get Dick back in the fold.

* * *

Lyla Michaels, Director of A.R.G.U.S., sighed in resignation to the amusement to the techies around her trying to eavesdrop on her conversation.

"So… he travels through time now?... Oh, so he could always travel through time, now he upgraded to hopping realities. SURE, that makes total sense… Well, daughters do run in the family… So was he responsible for saving the Batman, we lost the feed…. He helped facilitate it… And you STILL won't tell me who he is?... Sure, I get that you have concerns of me using him, but I am not Waller, and she took the damn task force with her. Is he at least willing to cooperate… I had to ask, but it's nice to hear it confirmed…. What do you mean he gave us a bone? Hold on…"

She covered the phone, "Type in Sasha Mahnovski for me."

One techy typed it up, bringing up an old image of the man on the primary monitor. "Yeah, we got the picture. Black goatee, blocky aristocratic face, the whole nine yards… really?"

She covered it again. "His real name is Vandal Savage, see if that cross-references in the other agencies databases."

Doing as told, the techy put it the new information before the proverbial floodgates opened. Dozens if not hundreds reports began appearing on the monitors, red alarms blaring everywhere. Whispers of a man behind powers and poorly digitized images suddenly began correlating and building a timeline without anyone's input, activating dormant protocols and long lost buried cold cases.

"What the freaking… John Thomas Diggle, WHAT DID YOU DO!?... My system just regurgitated is what happened… why do you mean he didn't think this would happen? You know what, no, we will discuss this later."

Lyla hanged up the phone but she couldn't help smiling. She had just been handed the equivalent of Moby Dick, and she planned to catch the whale.

The hunt was on.

"STATUS REPORT!"

* * *

"Hello? Bruce, yeah I can talk… That's a little personal don't you think?... Well, it's white noise unless I choose to focus my hearing… Small lead particle lining in the glasses… yeah, it did take me a while to figure it out… Tell Tim it got old real fast and that I got really good at sewing my pants so that Ma wouldn't figure it out… it was Smallville, and before the internet, I worked with what I had… no, I had the inspiration to be a journalist long before those powers kicked in, but yes, I can see how you would jump to that conclusion… tell Tim that I had no choice BUT to get self-control. Trust me, it made high school SO much more manageable when hormonal responses were removed from the equation…. Yes, I know every building that Lex owns directly or through a subsidiary… everyone needs an outlet, Bruce… by my best estimate, at this point, Lex lost billions in trying to find ways to kill me and repair his properties… yeah, I find it funny too. Nice talking to ya."

Clark put down the phone. "Huh, so the guy can stop time completely? Guess you see everything eventually."


	5. FINALLY! The Story Progre OH COME ON!

**Too many ideas, not enough ways to coherently say it, but that doesn't mean I didn't manage to set down the ideas I had. Now that I managed to finally get to the 'Pilot' episode of Flash, things can start speeding up.**

 **It doesn't mean I was happy with how the depictions of the characters turned out.**

 **Seriously, I need beta writers. I wrote 18,847 words (42 pages on Microsoft Word) mostly in one four-hour sitting. Parts were all sort of there in the file for who knows how long but it finally clicked and barfed out of me.**

 **Someone PM me - I am not asking for much. Someone to add to the file, throw ideas at me, call on my stupidity and stop my rants in the story. That or at least stop me from adding more cross-over material.  
**

 **In any case, Happy Holidays! (I am not PC, just don't want to offend anyone. Plus I am Jewish, so can't really say 'Merry Christmas')**

* * *

I don't know what surprised me – or, at least, amused me – more when I snuck into the Batcave a day after the fallout of Joker's arrest.

And boy that was a humdinger and a half. I don't know what was more entertaining, the stunned reaction of people realizing that the Joker would never be a threat to humanity again or the bidding war for the story.

Still, it was a very aesthetically pleasing cave, even had a lazy-Susan for the car.

Back to the surprise factor…

Was it Robin and Batgirl facing off against Nightwing? A bit, seeing as he was doing it from a ceiling to the ire of the younger pair. Robin had the right idea trying to throw his Robin-rangs at him, seeing as FREE BIRD was currently incognito.

Was it the nonchalance of Batman when he turned around to face me? Partially, but this is Batman we are talking about, so he is rarely caught off guard. It didn't even phase me when I spotted him closing the blood work on Joker. Guess he was trying to pin down just what the hell went into the medicine.

Was it the extra cup of tea and biscuits that Alfred happened to be delivering as he exited the elevator at the moment of my arrival via phasing?

"Thank you, Alfred."

"Of course, sir."

Say what you will, but there's being a butler, and then there's being THE butler.

"If I may ask, was this coincidence or…?"

"Serendipity, I assure you, Master Thunder," deadpanned Alfred. "But considering the circumstances, prudence dictated that you would meet Master Bruce at the next earliest convenience. Considering you and your associates… speedy nature… it was not far-fetched to assume you would arrive on the next day as soon as Master Bruce has returned from his first walkabout of the city."

I had to freeze to actually process the logical sounding deduction Alfred presented to me. It sounds insane in a real-world context, but this is DC…

I took a sip of Earl Grey tea. "You just jumped up the list to the SECOND best butler I have met in the Omniverse."

While the younger trio couldn't hide their surprise and Batman barely flinched, Alfred only raised a brow. "Only second?"

I shrugged. "Don't take it personally. The number one on my list is a literal demon who served the Queen's Watchdog during the start of the 20th century. Compared to the number three spot who is an AI, you matching Sebastian as a human – pure or otherwise – is a testament to your profession. Also, wonderful tea, no one ever says that enough."

The corner of Alfred's mouth rose, "Well, with a compliment like that, how can be insulted? Is there anything else you would like?"

"Something sweet if you don't mind. I know going up that elevator is tedious and whatnot, but I prefer not vibrating people I like through walls without possible ramifications. Not that there are any, but I have yet to try that particular trick with nonpowered individuals, and I rather not have you be the first."

"Of course, sir," Alfred nonchalantly replied as he entered the elevator. "It would, however, be rather tedious to use the lift had I not requested Master Bruce to remove the elevator music. I believe there was some rum cake I had prepared not too long ago. I shan't be long."

I watched in awe as he rose up before turning to Batman. "Can I rent him?"

"He is not for sa… wait, rent?" Robin shouted before processing that statement.

I sipped the tea again. "Even I am not foolish enough to ask Batman if he is for sale regardless of how much money I have, and I have once won a bidding war with a man whose favorite saying was 'Screw the rules, I have money.' He did not take it well when his brother asked me for lessons dealing with him."

Nightwing chuckled. "I've met people like that before during all those galas and high society parties when I was younger."

"Yes, but this is a man who gave a blank check to a car salesman for a sports car since he was in a rush and felt insulted when the man only wrote the selling price. He returned later to buy another car just so that he could give the man a BIG tip just for having the balls not to steal from him. Side note, it was that very man who started his obsession with that particular brand and helped him gather said collection."

Robin looked at Batman before at the Batmobile before looking at a further off the wall where past models were displayed.

I interrupted his train of thought. "Bruce doesn't count; he literally has no one to sell the cars off to without questions being asked."

"So, you really do know our identities."

"Indeed I do, Barbara Gordon. Was my quip about the Omniverse not a clue? I felt like I wasn't blunt enough. Was it blunt enough?"

"I believe it was, but the OMNI prefix may have confused her," answered Robin.

I sipped the tea. "Well, Multiverse applies to realities where the individuals and/or environments remain consistent, a want for a nail holding it down as it were. When you have visited Earths which have differentiated enough to have almost no similarities with your own home reality, I believe that the more encompassing 'Omni-'applies better."

Robin nodded in acceptance at that. "Makes sense. So…"

I raised my free hand. "Beating you to the punch here. Yes, I have visited such realities. I have lost track of how many I did, but Gideon may have kept track as she is still downloading and processing my records. I have traveled said realities for almost two decades. Yes, I am aware I don't sound that old. I look young due to a combination of my powers and some medicine from slightly more advanced Earths. Speaking of which…"

I reached into my pocket before 'teleporting' - walking really fast - up to Bruce and handing him a vial. "Low-grade microbots held together in a cohesive energy matrix called Nanotech. Give them to Alfred as an injection when he has a free day, and it will act as a high-grade cleanser. It won't regrow his telomeres, but I've seen this stuff take years off wrinkles and make a human body into a temple. Fair warning, don't try studying them and make sure he is near a toilet – the nanites usually use the waste to fuel themselves for perpetuity, but that initial spring cleaning DOES require some usage of the porcelain goddess."

Batman looked at the vial and then at me.

"Okay, there is paranoid, and then there is killing a man's butler. Seriously Bruce? I was prepared to rent out one of the best butlers in existence even for a day because of how awesome he is."

He put the vial away without breaking eye contact. "I'll give him the option, but it's his choice to take it."

"Fair enough," I replied before 'teleporting' back to Robin. "So, how did it go with Joker?"

"Well, he is going to Blackgate now – can't really hold him in Arkham now since, you know, no longer insane," shrugged the boy wonder.

"His lawyer is doing his best to prevent him from getting the death penalty, but considering how jarring his behavior is compared to before, good odds on him getting life without parole."

I pondered that. "Won't be low security, that's for sure. Joker was insane, but he still used the intelligence that was already available in that noggin. Morality or not, Napier is not an idiot. Still, life behind bars safely tucked away from people his psychosis has killed is better than nothing. What about the 1% who 'funded' him?"

Nightwing tipped his head in Bruce's general direction at the supercomputer. "Already looking into it. Now that we know about the breadcrumbs, we managed to follow some leads. So far, we managed to pin a few people, but the smarter ones used proxies. It will take time to find the heads."

I couldn't help myself.

"Just remember - cut off one head, two more shall take its place."

Barbara chuckled. "This is a collection of socialites, not the mythical hydra."

Oh right, no Marvel comics here – such lost opportunity for money. Wait a minute – note to self, when I reveal my ability to traverse realities, find a way to publish works from creators that don't exist here.

"I would like to remind you that you know a man who is centuries old and commands a legion of assassins. Don't throw rocks in glass houses, Miss Gordon. This is Gotham, where Batman's paranoia justifiably applies. I wouldn't be surprised if some ancient cabal was behind it all."

Oh crap, forgot about the Court of Owls. Well, tempting fate already so…

"Any word if your father is looking into the disappearance of Harley and Ivy?"

Barbara tapped her chin. "Didn't know about Ivy being gone, but he did wonder what happened to Harley – he didn't tell me exactly what Bruce told him in regards to what happened at that deranged obstacle course. Speaking of which, did you or your friend – Gideon, was it? - cut off the feed?"

"She did. It seemed prudent considering the topics of discussion and to prevent the world from knowing Dick had an ace up his sleeve. Speaking of which…"

I flourished the arrow – got to love cantrips – before presenting it to Bruce. "Offer is still open."

Alfred returned with the rum cake before noting the arrowhead. "Interesting design… Mesopotamian?"

"Odds are yes since it was discovered by archeologists in Egypt. I personally favor it being from Sumer – anything powerful from that corner of the world regardless of reality is usually tied back to the King of Heroes," I stated matter of factly as I spun the arrow in my hand.

"King of Heroes?" Robin asked the room. "Never heard of that title before."

"It's a rather… interesting way to call Gilgamesh," answered Batman, having put together the pieces.

I shrugged. "Hey, even in worlds without superbeings and magics, the blond bastard always makes the history books – dammed fixed point."

"Wait, blond?" Barbara interrupted as she thanked Alfred for her slice of cake. "This is ancient Sumeria were are talking about here – godling or not, I doubt he was blond."

"Again, Omniverse traveler. But yes, he isn't USUALLY blond."

"Usually?" Nightwing asked.

I shivered. Having personally never met Archer – in justifiable fear of getting HIS attention – meant that I had to rely on 2nd and 3rd person accounts from other reality traversing individuals.

"There's a particular corner of existence, where magic and science walk a very thin line of distinction, where magicians are more akin to mad scientists then alchemists and spell slingers. In that grove of creation, the Age of Gods has passed, but practitioners of magical codes, in all their infinite wisdom, wanted to recreate the olden days and gain access to the Root of all Magic. Suffice to say – and I am spitballing all of this, mind you – they managed to create a ritual via the Holy Grail –"

Collection of surprises and gasps from the younglings.

"- as a basis. I never figured out HOW a wish-granting device gives one access to the source of magic, but that's not the point. Every few decades, the cup would spill over with magic and 'mark' seven for a tournament. Winner in this tournament would gain a wish. The catch? The participants must summon Servants, individuals in history who have become immortalized. Due to their nature and actions, heroes were called upon more often then not if an appropriate artifact, as well as magical fuel from the summoner, was provided. Gilgamesh – or Archer in this case – was considered the ORIGINAL hero and, as such, was considered the most powerful of Servants in raw power. And he happened to be blond."

"Why didn't you ever meet him? I mean, the way you describe him, it's almost like you fear him."

I chuckled at Robin's comment. "Fear him? No. As all-powerful as he is, he is no more mortal than most demi-gods or beings like Superman. He is mighty enough to justify his arrogance, but that power is tied more to his ability, one he has never truly mastered but rather hoarded."

"May I deduce that there was a David and Goliath situation involved?"

I raised a brow.

"Please sir, I am well-read in myths of heroes – it's always the kings and powerful who receive poetic justice. Gilgamesh is both."

"True, Sir Alfred – this is a delicious cake, by the way. Gilgamesh was hoisted by his own petard - or armory in this case – by someone he considered beneath him and dubbed as a 'fake' hero. Suffice to say, Tim, I could quickly deal with beings of his caliber by simpling crippling them before they get the chance to access their abilities. When the difference in speed between the combatants is great enough, the usual rules and fundamental aspects of combat are thrown out the window. Think of it like putting a small child with a knife who could move at the speed of sounds against a master assassin – it doesn't matter how much stronger and more skilled the assassin is, all the child needs to do is slit a major artery or the throat. What I can't deal with is the dimensional traveling centuries-old vampire-esque immortal magic powerhouse wielding individual - who shall not be named - who calls that horde of realities his personal playground."

Everyone noted my shiver. "I fear this 'man' so much I dare not speak his name in fear of accidentally giving him a waypoint to track me down."

I've heard others recount their experiences with Zeltrech – he is fun, but too much hassle.

Especially if you catch his interest or anger.

Or worse – both.

"Should I be concerned that you may bring this threat to this plane?" Batman asked, undertones evident and apparent.

I straightened. "Oh, not at all. At worst, he is a gigantic troll with an odd obsession with anime dealing with Lolita magical girls… who happens to be powerful enough to face most beings in all of creation like they were toddlers. I wouldn't be surprised if the number of people who can give him a run for his money in all of the creation remains in the double digits. And considering the concept of infinity – or as close as you can get to it – that's saying something."

Tim whispered to Barbara, "Lolita magical girls?"

She pinched her brow. "It's anime, Tim – what did you expect?"

Batman decided to ignore the implications of such a being and pressed on to a topic he could be more grounded on. "Are there many individuals like him who could invade?"

"Invade or enter realities like I can? There are, but nowhere near my skill level. That kind of power comes with restrictions – they can knock on the door, whisper in, or even send in an aspect of themselves, but outright entry usually requires some sort of 'key-lock' situation from the other end. Call it's a self-defense mechanism of reality if you would: someone already inside got to prop the entry. Individuals or groups like me are unique, getting our ability from one of four methods. The most common one? We bypassed the raw power required to shatter the walls by instead specializing, developing tricks to get around the issue, usually via a technique or methodology that is significantly below the power threshold to be considered a threat to said defense mechanism. Less common is by becoming patrons or serving under a significantly powerful deity or aspect. I know a particular group known as the Oogakaris who serve and entertain an elder goddess of creation, who one them describes as a 'demon dragon goddess thing.' They have only been around for a few millennia, but Zuzushi seems to like this iteration – quirks and all – so they will be around for a while. The third group is incredibly rare and is usually the cause behind fears of transdimensional nightmare beings such as Cthulu."

"Wait… Cthulu? As in the indescribable, insanity-inducing cosmic entity and basis of H. 's pantheon is REAL?!" Tim asked in shock and fear.

"Oh yes, Lovecraft is usually able to peer into the void and catch glimpses of them. Personally? They are not that bad once you get used to their rules and appearances. Little too much like the Addams Family taken to the extreme, but at that point, rules and morality becomes less of a concern. I wouldn't recommend visiting their domains though – their version of physics does a number on humanoids."

I sipped my tea as everyone tried processing that. Maybe I should make my own Flash 'Mind Blowers' segment or something?

"Still, the third category is pure power. Beings like that have gathered so much of it that even their fragments and whispers are enough to bend minds to their will and summon them into their victim's respective realities. Thankfully, there are groups and individuals out there who make sure that this… Chaotic element doesn't interfere with Existence to a damaging degree. Of all known members who fall into this category, only a sliver are a justified threat. The rest… the rest just don't care, are in hibernation, or are so above our infinitesimal presence that it doesn't even cross their minds."

Batman's glare intensified. "Are you saying that they are allowed to consume and destroy realities at a whim?"

"Where there is Creation, there is also Death. One does not allow life to propagate and continue without an end unless one desires Cancer to form, Bruce." I had to raise my voice to a commanding level. "Do not attempt to apply your beliefs and morality to someone of my level – me allowing Joker to live was a courtesy, not an action I would have avoided committing."

"And Harley and Ivy? Where they also dealt with similarly?"

This conversation was going off the rails - time to reset the tracks.

"Ivy was simply a victim of her environment. Being the closest thing to the emissary or even avatar of nature made her extremely vulnerable to pollutants and their corrupting influence. I don't know why she returned and remained in Gotham, but she should have known that its land would have been detrimental to her. Harley was in a similar situation albeit bound to an individual rather than the environment. Joker found her mental flaw, manipulated it, and pretzelled her into an abusive relationship, which he conditioned her into remaining. I have taken both of them and placed them into a nurturing and safe environment where they can recover in peace and regain their bearings."

Batman pondered that, everyone in the Bat Clan looking at him for his final word.

"May I at least know where you have placed them?"

I smirked, knowing he wouldn't find the island, the Fidelis-like magic of the gods preventing deliberate searching for it.

"Themyscira."

"Themyscira – as in the lost island of the Amazons," deadpanned Batman.

"Yeah, so no boys allowed," I smirked.

"What's the fourth method?"

I faced Tim. "Pardon?

"You said there were four methods. One is skill, one is patronage, and one is power, what's the fourth?"

I strained up. "The fourth is something that is jokingly referred to as the Joker Class, mainly because the individuals work like the card when the games began – the weakest and strongest suit depending on the situation."

"How come?"

I sighed. "The three methods I mentioned? They all involve the participant or participants 'raising' as it were beyond their mortal restrictions. Me? I got a straight link to a dimension of energy, which I honed to allow me to do what I do. Same for others like me in existence: one way or another, we bargained, coned, tricked, or sweated our way into the power to do what we do."

I raised my hand to Batman, "Before you start, no, I won't tell you about said individuals mainly because they are not your concern, and there are individuals already doing that job for you."

I turned back to face the group. "And to answer Bruce's second question, yes, the technology used to do this DOES fall into the Joker Class."

Nightwing rubbed his chin. "That… doesn't really make sense. How can using technology to do traverse existence justifies such a high position?"

"Because of two significant reasons. The first being that because said individuals aren't 'bound' to anyone or anything, their methods of travel more often than not can't be tracked and don't have as many limitations. On the flip side, however, they don't have a subconscious understanding of traversing the roads of existence, meaning that their methods are sloppy, hazards, and, more often than not, leave enough collateral residue that they are a danger to the stability to said roads. There are exceptions to this rule, but Professor Paradox and the Doctor are too rare to justify adding a provision."

I finished my tea as they processed that statement. "However, the reason only applies to those who don't understand what they have in their hands. In almost all situations, people who have access to such technologies are usually so smart that they are a threat just by existing. There is a dimensional hopper by the name of Rick Sanchez whose actions – the Prime versions and his counterparts – have caused a literal blockade around ALL REALITIES where he exists. Can you imagine how much of a threat an individuals – or individuals - must be for beings monitoring creation to put in the effort to corner them off?"

"Is it wrong to mention how blown my mind is right now?" Barbara muttered as her hands shook.

"No, no it is not. Green Arrow and his team had similar reactions when I laid down something similar a while back. BTW, you want their contact information, Bats?"

I took out a card with the special contact server Oliver developed to communicate with his team while on patrol, presenting it to Batman. "He wouldn't mind me doing this. Frankly, having someone to socialize with could do you some good."

Batman's glare softened a bit, but he didn't take the card. "I'll take your words into consideration. And do give my regards to Oliver Queen when you get the chance."

My brow rose before I snapped my fingers. "I should have known – you were rather close with Talia, so odds are she must have mentioned her sister at some point."

Batman couldn't hide his grimace. "That isn't how I knew about it, but that DOES raise more questions."

"Long story short, Ra's gets around, and he wasn't putting all his eggs in one basket," I deadpanned.

"Eww, TMI," Tim snarked.

"And for interrupting my train of thought Batman and making me go all serious – HEADS UP!" I tossed the arrow to him.

Batman, bless his reflexes, couldn't help himself as he grabbed the shaft.

"Careful, it bites," Nightwing managed to say before… well, basing everyone's reactions to the arrow going all snake-like and penetrating Bruce's arm, it must have been something.

Sans Alfred – he just stood there and sipped his tea.

Stone cold bastard… I LOVE HIM SO MUCH!

"Now, where was I?"

Barbara looked at me as I was crazy. "Are we just going to ignore what you did!?"

"The same thing I did to Nightwing already? Relax – its only some slight discomfort. People with stronger character barely feel anything as the arrow designs their power. Only those with feeble self-perception actually suffer since the arrow needs to dig deeper. Speaking of which, since I already started the fire… TRIPLE TAP!"

Never said I had the one arrow.

I caught and lied down Tim, Barbara, and Alfred on the medical cots before they hit the ground.

Nightwing stared at me in resignation. "They will be angry at you for this, you know that?"

I shrugged. "It's better to ask for forgiveness rather than permission. Besides, it's a stability thing."

Nightwing looked at me, flabbergasted.

"Consider me as the Prime Version. Every action and interaction I take must have the opposite one. In half my decisions, I do give you powers and in half, I don't. In those I do give powers, I have to run choices of who gets powers and who doesn't. Then there are actions are took before like saving the Joker or killing him, etc., etc…. and suffice to say the fractal of existence continues."

"But… why?"

"Because while most of the strings I CAN create may or will die off from who knows what reasons, those that persist will fill in for the realities that ended or have been destroyed for one reason or another somewhere else in creation. Existence keeps going via the battle between Beginning and End, and we avoid all life becoming meaningless just a little bit longer."

Nightwing processed that. "That's deep – and sounds oddly like a theory that we are entertainment for sleeping gods keeping us going."

"Similar premise, different exsecution."

It was at that point that I caught the Batarang tossed at me. Snyder Cut much?

I faced Batman, who managed to force himself up, sweat-drenched and all. I noted this reaction before hearing the rest of the group groggily wake without a hint of pain or tiredness.

"Hold up – did you actually resist the process? By the powers Bruce, what part of me 'not trying to kill you' confuses you? Are you actually so stubborn as to resist a free upgrade, no strings attached?"

"I believe it was the part where you gave him a supernatural ability without his permission, Sir," Alfred deadpanned as he dusted himself off. "Thank you for catching the china, by the way – it was part of a set."

"Just helping out. Speaking of which, what did you all get?"

I stared down Batman. "And don't even try to deny you didn't want a way to even up the field. So put down the metaphorical shotgun and just try it out."

Something must have registered to him as he sighed in resignation and was about to call his Stand…

"But because I like poking the proverbial bear, I'll start with Alfred."

I turned to spot… huh, he got a Colony.

Or at least a very small one.

"Are those gremlins?" Tim asked in confusion.

"Did Gizmo or his ilk ever wear suits? Cause if so, I have been watching the wrong movie on Columbus Day."

Alfred studied the three figures clamoring around him. "I do believe that they remind me more of the Russian Domovoi creatures."

He had a point. While their green skin and long ears did suggest Gizmo's evil cousins, they lacked the scales and clawed hands to give them that demented edge. Their pupil-less eyes and grins are unnerving as are their grossly exaggerated bulging arms giving them a gorilla build. The suit did take the edge off.

"Still, multiple numbers imply Colony, meaning that the three may not be the final tally. Combining in the fact that it must be a Long-Range and that it is a Natural Non-Humanoid, it must have one heck of an ability. Taking in what I know about Alfred, I am willing to bet the power is similar to a genius loci. What is their name?"

Alfred locked eyes with the one on his shoulder as the other two walked around, smelling the cave. A nonverbal conversation occurred between the two before Alfred nodded and smiled. The 'lead' gremlin barked at the other two before all three ran off to who knows where.

"You were spot on with their power, Master Shunkan. They go by Kanseil, and they do, in fact, allow me to become a genius loci, but only in any place that Master Bruce and his family call their own or own on paper – with preference, of course, falling on Master Bruce. Some prerequisites must be met, and I must be present for the blunt of its abilities to work… abilities that Kanseil has yet to divulge. As far as I can tell, the three have run off to study the territory and… make a big enough staff."

I nodded. "Fits in – Colony stands are always overlooked since they need to set up for their potential to be used adequately. Give them time."

"Anyone willing to tell me what a genius loci is?"

"Read more fantasy. Speaking of which, where is your Stand, Tim?"

Tim tilted his head. "Can't you see him?"

"Him?" Barbara smirked.

I chuckled. "Hold your laugh. The fact he can tell its gender is better than nothing. Many people have Stands that look like monsters or robots. Having a gender means more humanoid appearance meaning more power - usually. But no, we can't. How about you tell me what your power does since?"

"I have X-ray vision in my eyes if that helps."

OHHH… guess we are going the Rocksteady Studios route.

"Let me guess, highlighted items of interest, adjustable levels of X-ray, increasing detail and range?"

"Yeah… how did you..?"

"It's called Detective Mode, and I can take a guess as to what your Stand is."

At that moment, Tim's eyes glowed and shifted into a blue tint as a figure emerged from them.

Huh – a mechanical tweeting robin… that is the size of a falcon.

"Says his name is WTD for some reason… OH! He says he can go by Costello."

I barely managed to hold in my laugh. "While I won't ruing the joke behind those acronyms or nickname, I should have mentioned that Stands have names related to songs and bands. Anything else?"

The bird tweeted something only Robin could understand. "He says he is only Act 1."

I whistled. "Wow, well, that takes my initial estimate out the window. 'Act' indicated that it will evolve in time as you age and mature so that power isn't even its final form. Keep practicing with it, and down the road, you'll figure out its nuisances. Fair warning, don't tell any of your future female coworkers that you have X-Ray vision."

Going by Barbara's – and Bruce's glare – Tim quickly got the message.

"Um… is there any specific meaning to the FORM the Stand takes?"

"No, only the power reveals something about you. The form is irrelevant and adapts to better suit the power, not the other way around. Why?"

Barbara closed her eyes as a figure started to form by her side…

No…No… SON OF A…!

The Stand was a fucking JESTER!

Well, a jester doll. While the old court jester green-red appearance and half-half mask mix of Comedy and Tragedy was a giveaway, it mostly managed to cover up the doll sockets and joints.

What's worse, it looked like two triangles connected at one ball socket joint where the spine would meet the hip, giving it a twisted unbalanced appearance, one hanging on by a single vertebra.

And it even had the gall to cover its mouth as it mimicked whispering something Barabara before laughing.

"It… it says its name is Four Tops and that its power… "undoes what has been done but not what has occurred?"

Oh, you have got to be…

"Sounds like Event Denial, even possibly Event Negation if I am deciphering it right. That's… a rather powerful ability, even for an Artificial Humanoid Close-Range. There HAVE to be ridiculous restrictions."

"How ridiculous are we talking?" Batman asked, partly restraining his reactions from hearing that one of his protégé has the ability to control TIME, even to a minor degree.

"Contact is a must. A time limit to how far back something can be undone is a given. Doubt she can just pick and choose what never occurred or else she could undo something significant in a person's past. It's probably also restricted to non-living…"

Barbara raised her hand in interruption. "Actually, it works on all."

"What."

"It seems like I can undo any event or action that occurred to an object, others, or me. However, Four Tops can only undo an event up to 10 seconds. If say a window or door was broken more then 10 seconds ago, I can't restore it to completion. Same for injuries. Plus, either me or Four Tops have to make contact within the 10-second window. This is loosened for anything I actually break since that allows me to delay the activation of the power for up to 9 seconds."

I whistled. "Okay, I see A LOT of potential for infiltration as well as immediate medical aid… now drop the other shoe."

I did not joke on the last mater, not with the giant middle finger potentiality was giving me.

"It seems like there's a condition when used on living beings. The power LITERALLY undoes the event, taking the individual up to 10 seconds back in time, like the event never occurred to you, meaning you have no memory of it…"

"But reality keeps on moving as if it did happen. That… is a rather double-edged sword, for you or an enemy."

"I am sorry, but enemy? I can see it being detrimental to her in combat since, from what I gather, she would be able to heal from any crippling injury but be caught completely off guard as her memory would erase of HOW it occurred or where she was or doing at the given moment. In the vigilante lifestyle, such seconds matter."

"True Sir Alfred, but the same can be done to enemies – it would take someone of considerable skill to overcome such debilitating memory loss in the middle of combat. There is also the fact that the power can PHYSICALLY take her or others back to wherever they were or whatever they were doing in that 10-second window. With proper trap placement or environmental awareness, such a Recall ability is a true blessing. I can't help but notice that all your abilities have no DIRECT combat or damage applications. Would you like to finish it off, Batman?"

Bruce – his limit for appearing, threating having apparently been reached – sighed as he summoned his Stand… from his shadow.

"Oh, oh wow – we may have another Black Sabbath situation here."

Speaking strictly appearances, the similarities where rather apparent: cloaked humanoid figure, shadow based abilities, talon-like hands…

HOLD UP!

I looked at what I could see, what with the hood coring – DOES THE HOOD HAVE EDGES!?

"Umm… how does a cloak not have curves?"

"Supernatural bullshit Tim, just plain old supernatural bullshit," I muttered.

Noticing that whatever of the hand – dark chrome-colored, I may add – I could see, it clearly looked… batlike? But that didn't really fit in with what of its face I could see, which included snake eyes and tongue. But then there were its cloven jet black feet.

I mean, I get bat DNA is needed to make a stable chimera – thank you 'Fringe' for that factoid – but what does that have to do with darkness…

OH, YOU HAVE TO BE SHITTING ME!

"Batman, shot in the dark here but… your Stand name wouldn't happen to be 'Fear of the Dark'?"

The fact that he didn't react to my insinuation spoke volumes.

" _SIGH_ … sort of fits the theme: we are all afraid of whatever monsters are in the dark, and having you, someone who weaponized his fear, have a Stand take such an appearance actually fits its chimera visage. What of the powers?"

He just smirked. "I'll be keeping that to myself now, spoilers and all."

Oh, you want to play this game?

"I was being polite, but fine, have it your way. Considering that you strictly work from the shadows, I am wagering that your Stand power is two-fold. One allows you to enter some sort of 'shadow dimension' to get around traps and enemies and the like. I don't know how that would work, but I am sticking to it. The other one probably allows you to shape your shadow and into whatever you desire like armor and whips. CAVEAT – the longer and bigger the shadow source, the more you have to work with, especially if your shadow makes contact with other shadows. But by that token, your power is useless the more light there is or if there is no light at all."

"No light at all? How would that prevent his power from working?" Tim asked, curiously.

"Because Tim, darkness and shadow are not the same things. Shadows need light to form, and darkness is the absence of light. It's rather poetic, really – Batman strifes to bring the misdeeds of those hiding in the darkness into the light, and his Stand practically demands that light be a part of him. Still, a Humanoid Close Range Stand is absolutely nothing to laugh at. How close was I?"

Oh that face, that 'I've had enough of this shit' face of surrender… FEED ME, TROLL HUMOR!

"Mostly spot on. There IS a restriction regarding the shadow usage, but there is also a loophole or two to exploit. Also, what exactly is 'Fear of the Dark'?"

"Not a fan of Iron Maiden, Sir?"

The collective neck snaps from all of us at Alfred's admission of knowing a metal band and song can not be overstated.

"Oh, but to have a day going through your layers…" I sighed before clapping loudly. "Okay, you know what, I gave you all a large info and power dump today. Barbara, Tim, how about you go talk to Dick about using your Stands for reconnaissance? Okay? Okay. Alfred, I believe that you should take a walk around the perimeter to get the gremlins situated. Bruce and I got to have a small talk about some of the stuff I am involved in just to ease his irrational paranoia of me."

The three younger members of the Bat Clan laughed it off as they walked away but Alfred was a former agent, he noticed something was off. He gave Batman when he was sure the younglings wouldn't notice before walking off.

The moment we were in the clear, all jokes were off.

My sudden demeanor change actually caught Batman off guard, especially when I took him into Flash Time.

"What did you just…"

"Not now, Bruce. All you need to know is that I took us to an accelerated timestream and caught off any possible sounds from leaving our immediate environment. There are things we need to discuss, and the little reveal of Barbara's Stand means that I don't have much of a choice."

Batman caught the gist. "What does it have to do with…?"

"Had I not been put in the unique situation of my powers developing as they did, I would not have the knowledge that I currently access. Said knowledge boils down to certain events that happen in perpetuity and in ever prevalent frequency across your lives and the lives of many other alternatives of you."

"You know our futures?"

"I know the multitude of possible scenarios that your alternatives have gotten into or will get into. I DO NOT time travel– I only observe the past or timelines further along the line than yours, and even then, I have to remain out of synch to avoid making physical contact with anything and causing a Ray Bradbury 'A Sound of Thunder' incident."

"But why don't you…?"

"Ever seen the ripples and damage from waves after a sonic boom? The hell do you think happens to events in a timeline after a time boom? Little deviations add up and snowball to cataclysmic events. I know because I have seen one of my alternatives do just that."

Well, I've seen the animated DC movie. I've never actually met any of the Flashes alternatives, more so from fear of accidentally being found out of being an SI.

The other deities and aspects never brought it up, but to be fair, we never discussed it either.

That caused Batman's eyes to bulge behind his mask, but he contained his reaction, processing that statement. "Getting rid of the Joker, rescuing Ivy and Harley.. you saw something in the other timelines. But… they are differences, the odds of them happening here are just…"

"In most iterations, Barabara Gordon is shot point-blank by the Joker, severing her spine, permanently paralyzing her from the waist down. She was depressed, but eventually, her friends and family brought her back, and she took her skills in information sciences and became Oracle, an information broker who gathered and disseminating intelligence to law enforcement organizations and members of the superhero community. You were happy that she managed to fix herself back up, but there was always guilt behind any interaction you took with her because you couldn't bring yourself to end the Joker… especially since he nearly tortured her father to madness while she was in the hospital, fighting for her life."

Bruce took deep breathes, trying to control himself as he processed that information. "Her Stand… you think something still may happen."

Well, considering there THREE fucking Jokers according to you after using that damn Mobius Chair…

"I don't know. Maybe Stands are predetermined, and me interfering with the timeline wasn't going to change that. Perhaps it's just foreshadowing, and someone else will try to do the deed. In any case, her new power will prevent her from being crippled again if she manages to fight through the pain and undo the damage in a timely enough matter."

"Harleen?"

"Harleen more often then not recovers to something close to normalcy if she is kept away from Joker. That medicine I gave him? Developed by one of her alternatives who managed to get away from him when she finally recognized how deranged he was becoming."

"Define normalcy."

I shrugged. "Anti-hero at best, mercenary for hire at worst. She still has the insanity flavoring but left on her own devices, she never goes out to ruin the lives of others on a whim. Hell, she actually goes out of her way to get rid of the red in her ledger. Managed to impress enough superheroes to at least give her a modicum of trust."

"Ivy?"

"Call up Zatanna or one of your other magic-using 'friends' and ask them about The Green and all the other elemental forces in existence. Ivy is one of the stronger avatars currently active, and she has a role to play in saving the Earth in most futures. I just accelerated her rate of recovery."

"Themyscira?"

"Spoilers. And I mean it. You'll know when you need to know."

Batman pinched his nose in exasperation. "Any other bombshells I should be aware of?"

Yeah… he isn't about to enjoy what I am about to tell him.

"Well, let's just say that both Talia AND Ra's have managed to screw you over in the past – and in exactly the ways you imagine."

"…Elaborate."

* * *

Barbara, Tim, and Dick were witnesses to their mentor finally snapping and losing his cool.

They also learned that day that shadows do, in fact, pack a punch.

* * *

"So… I know this is the wrong thing to say, but I can pay you back for that computer."

I know I should have stayed quiet, but Batman losing his cool – and his Stand going crazy and destroying his computer – was enough to spook me out of Flash Time.

"THE HELL DID YOU TALK ABOUT?! I HAD MY SAVE FILES ON THAT COMPUTER!" shouted Tim.

I looked at Batman, who was still enraged and calming himself down.

"I… may have told him some things that he was unaware of at this time – PRIVATE THINGS!"

Batman finally stilled and slowly turned away from the mangled remains of his computer terminal. "WHERE?" he growled in barely restrained fury, shadows flailing and whipping around him like octopus limbs.

"Both will make their appearance soon enough, but I will be paying visits to them anyway for… various reasons."

Batman breathed in and out, in and out. He turned to the concerned family. "Sorry for my outburst. Shunkhan told me of a possible future. I may have… overreacted. Thank you for the abilities, but I need to return to my patrol again – and order a new supercomputer."

Before anyone had a chance to respond, an aura glowed around said computer as it reassembled itself and turned back on.

"Huh," deadpanned Barbara. "So that's how that feels."

Four Tops giggling still unnerved me. "Well, in hopes of not accidentally dropping any more truth bombs, I'll be on my way now. If you have any questions, just contact Green Arrow and he will pass it on to me. FYI, I was mostly spitballing your Stands powers – odds are, they have rather glaring restrictions and weaknesses attached to them I am unaware of. Make sure to figure them out before using them openly in the field."

"WAIT!" shouted Tim, freezing me, mid-stride."Did you give the Green Arrow Stands as well?"

"Oh no, I prefer power diversity in the superhero/vigilante community. For the foreseeable future, only members and allies of the Bat Clan have the right to the Stand Arrow if they choose so. Members of the Team Arrow get the demented love child between the works of Anthony Ivo and Abraham Erskine that consumers Mirakuru for desserts."

"None of that statement made sense."

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Think of a serum that enhances and perfects human physiology and mentality for the recipient, as well as emphasizes the user's key personality traits. Granted, I managed to tweek it JUST enough that it emphasizes positive traits over dominant-negative traits – Arrow still has baggage he hasn't gotten over."

Tim whistled at that. "How did they react to that?"

I froze, shuddering and laughing at the memory. "Well, safe to say, they were unaware that I dosed them without their consent. However, the three couples were not complaining when I returned the next day. Side note, apparently, increased libido constitutes a pleasant – if not expensive, due to broken beds – side effect. I had to order four different beds and gallons of burn cream to get back in their good graces."

Nightwing thought about that. "Wait, four?"

I smirked evilly. "There is a bed in the Arrow Cave. TOODLES!"

I disappeared, but not before catching the last sentence."Who broke the bed in the cave?"

Too bad for Batman, he didn't consider the whole weight of the statement regarding the arrow.

* * *

 _In a dingy warehouse in the middle of nowhere U.S.A_

Jason couldn't believe it, he just couldn't.

Oh sure, the freak wasn't dead, but that hardly mattered since the Joker himself was no longer an issue.

His vendetta, his rage… he had done things, things that still make him sweat and scream in the night to learn the skills he needed.

But now… now he was a loaded gun without a target to shoot.

" **Just because Joker is no longer the final mark, doesn't mean your plan was without merit**."

Jason didn't hesitate, he quickly jumped away from the crate he was on facing the television and shot at the source of the sound.

It was only when landed and was prepared to shoot again when he saw the white figure hold the bullet in the middle of the air.

"How in the… wait, you look like those guys from Central City, Thunder and Lightning."

I nodded. " **Call me Shunkan, their… 'older' sibling**."

"Okay… why did you track me down then?"

" **For three reasons. First, to give you a heads-up that Batman is aware you are alive**."

Jason's eye bulged. "WHAT?! Why did you…"

" **I only told him that Ra's had your body replaced and thrown in the Pits with… mixed results. Didn't take him much to figure out that you could have survived your fall into the river stream. Suffice to say, Bruce is set on a warpath and is making plans to get his pound of flesh from him and Talia.** "

"Talia? What did she do to…?"

" **She drugged and raped him in Egypt while he was injured, and that encounter produced an heir. Trust me, looking for Ra's right now is the equivalent of two birds with one stone.** "

Jason exe stopped working. "Bruce… has a son? A real one?"

" **You are all his children, but yes, he has a sired child. Still young… too young for Ra's to start teaching his successor.** "

A cold shiver passed through Jason. Desecrating and reviving him would be one thing to Bruce – his guilt of not saving him given form. But to take his own flesh and blood and twist it with the teachings of the League AND Ra's mentality? An antithesis to Bruce's believes?

Angels would weep tears of fear at vengeance given form for Bruce wrath would know no end.

"Okay, so coming to me was for what? A sales pitch?"

" **Powers No! You've gone away from Batman's methods. Not saying he is wrong about the whole no killing or gun rule, but… well… I did find a way to remove the Joker from the game board as humanely as possible. But not every villain and criminal can be dealt with in such a way. No, sometimes, if the source of the infection can't be treated, the symptoms have to be dealt with – one way or another. Your methods are different – you have your way of dealing with crime, a way that Bruce won't agree with but knows will work. You would seek to control crime, to carol those without fear behind lines they wouldn't dare to cross because you would be able to enforce and cross lines Bruce couldn't.** "

"Really? Bruce being pro-death?"

" **The definition of insanity is doing the same thing expecting different results. Bruce is not a dumb man, Jason. He knows his methods are at best plugging up a sinking ship, but he stands by his values because he believes in them. He is the epitome of human will, both the good and the bad. He will move mountains and end gods – this I know – but he always do it his way, pushing even his loved ones and friends away, in fear of bringing harm to them in his crusade against evil, by their hands… or his own.** "

Jason was about to process that statement…

" **Plus, it would be too easy.** "

"Too easy? Too easy for what?"

" **Do you really think Bruce has ignored what the Joker has done? Blindly, stupidly disregarding the entire graveyards he's filled, the thousands who have suffered, the friends he's crippled. It was never the moral code holding him back from doing the deed – it was the fear of being all too damned easy. There has never been a day till now where there wasn't a day - especially after your death – where he didn't want to kill him. To subject him to every horrendous torture he's dealt out to others and then... end him. But the thing is… if he did do that, if he allowed himself to go down into that place, he would never come back. And believe me, having seen the worlds where Batman did do just that, well, raining blood is an appropriate comparison. Batman has the skills to kill the lieutenants for all cartels in Gotham in a few HOURS. What do you think he can do when he has all the time in the world?** "

Jason gulped in fear of that, the white being leaning into him to say that last phrase notwithstanding. "Okay, I see where you are coming from. So what are the other two reasons?"

" **The other is this,** " he attached a device to his wrist. " **This will provide you all the tech you need to start your crusade against humanities scum – your ultimate hacking, computer, credit providing communicating device.** "

Jason raised a brow in confusion after looking at the red hologram as it appeared over his forearm. **"It comes with a manual, and it's called an Omni-tool. It's a multipurpose diagnostic and manufacturing tool, as well as a computer used for a variety of civilian and battlefield tasks, such as hacking, decryption, or repair. It will help you be a step or two ahead of Bruce and give you a direct line to me if anything comes up. Also, it comes with a hard light sword. Bonus, it's solar AND bio-energy powered.** "

"Okay… thanks for the fancy tech. What's the final reason?"

The figure drew an arrow out of nowhere. " **This**."

All Jason would know for the next few moments is pain.

* * *

 _Next day…_

I rubbed my jaw in annoyance from the other side of the table as Oliver looked up from his paperwork. "Still? You would think that you regeneration, I simple uppercut wouldn't hurt that much."

I chuckled in between winces. "You laugh, but regeneration only repairs surface damage – the pain will stay for the natural duration. Hell, my accelerated perception actually makes it last longer if I don't adjust the time flow. Something you should remember from now on as well; your body reaction speeds aren't exactly human norm anymore."

Oliver's 'friendly' glare intensified. "Yes… I am still not happy you dosed up with that – what did you call it? – Super Soldier Serum."

Too easy.

"What, Sarah complained about the lack of stamina? Or was it the new goatee?"

Oliver was stoic, but I spotted the slight flinching of the eyes. "No – to both accounts. Also, how did I grow a goatee almost overnight?"

Yeah… if the resemblance to his cartoon and comic counterparts wasn't strong in the team before, I was now.

It was more evident in the more recognizable members, however.

Oliver didn't bulk up per se – he was already pretty high up there on male perfection scale – but his physique did become broader, more streamlined. The lightening of his hair to a more blondish color was hard to ignore, but that thankfully was more progressive then sudden, unlike his rapidly growing goatee.

His most significant change – which he was yet to notice – was his demeanor. Oliver in the entertainment media was always portrayed as the man of the people, less so their guardian. While he and Bruce DID commit to humanitarian causes, Oliver was always on the 'frontlines,' getting to know those he was helping and relating to the common man.

Gideon has been watching him for the last few days after the serum administration for side effects and research purposes. She ascertained based on the employs' and shareholders' reactions that Oliver gained some sort of 'aura' around him, like paladins of fantasy or priests of old. He didn't spot it yet, but even Sarah started noticing that he was becoming less grumpy and more 'true' with his persona in regards to saving the city.

Speaking of Sarah, she too changed up a bit. A body that was sex on legs, hair transitioning from platinum blond to straight-up blond, a spike in natural empathy and intuitiveness with people, as well as a commanding voice that could kill.

Literary.

Finding out she was now her namesake mid-coitus was probably not how I would want that to happen, but she wasn't complaining THAT much.

Still, funniest damn way to learn you had the Canary Cry. I chalked its emergence up to minute trices of exotic matter in her from the particle accelerator that was triggered via the serum.

Otherwise, I would have to start checking her family history for a witch's curse.

Roy didn't change much, considering he was already on Mirakuru, basically SSS-light. Well, other than the shade of orange for his hair.

Diggle, Lyla, and Thea remained mostly the same. Sure, they didn't complain about the superhuman boost – especially Roy, who was tired of being blue balled – but they were annoyed at the fact I didn't get consent.

Diggle accepted it after I got him a dozen crispy crème donuts.

Lyla sort of just went along with it. Hell, she didn't even update anyone at A.R.G.U.S about it.

Thea, well, I mentioned Roy as it.

And there were four broke beds.

Who knew that Thea had THAT in her? Not Oliver, based on his grimace when he found the broken bed later on.

Back to the topic at hand.

"So, how is it going with the company?"

Oliver jumped 'gracefully' to a different topic to avoid the current train of thought. "So far, so good. The Glades are being funded, medical and aide centers are either in development or solidifying their roots in the community. I managed to put up enough feelers to diversify the company a bit more, hopefully broadening our scope and appeasing our shareholders."

"Did Bruce reach out to you yet?"

"No, not yet. Last I heard, he went to do a check-up on his eastern divisions. I am assuming that he went to give Ra's a visit of some sort?"

"You would be correct in that assumption. You ever get in touch with Holt?"

"I did. Like you said, the guy is too smart for his own good."

I smirked. "I said that he is too intelligent to stick to one project for an extended period of time."

"Hence why I made a deal with him: he works in the Design Innovations department on projects we have interests in with a short term renewable contract, and we agree to fund his work in the future when he finally decides to leave as long as he maintains confidentiality on what he did work. There are a host of minute details as well, but those are the broad strokes."

I shrugged, "Better than nothing, I guess. That man is like a steroid shot to any companies R&D Department's bottom line. He's like a golden goose that constantly flies and rarely lands. Oh, but when he lands…"

Oliver couldn't help but laugh. "It lays freaking golden eggs that keep on giving. You should have been here when Palmer came in for the meeting."

I flinched at that. "Was he in the city when The Siege happened?"

Oliver sighed in resignation. "Was he another one of those 'can't interfere with time' situations?"

I sighed in defeat. "Frankly, with how much weakened this army was compared to its other alternatives –"

"Still don't know how you butterfly-effected THAT particular event before you got your powers," Oliver deadpanned.

Right… he still doesn't know that I stole the unfiltered Mirakuru from Slade. He just assumed that whatever I gave Roy overrode the junk in his system. Oh well, the less he knows about my research into it, the better.

"Flight of whimsy. This just happened to be the reality where I was more curious about your activities and asked the right questions. Me getting powers is sort of a fixed point in time across a big chunk of this Multiverse within the Omniverse. In any case, I figured with the weakened army, Miss Loring would still be alive."

"No, she passed. How did she die before?"

"Neck snap."

"She died rescuing people from a collapsing building, but she got stuck inside and couldn't get out. Palmer couldn't get to her in time. Hell, he could barely get his hands through the cracks."

I frowned. "Huh, that's… interesting."

"That a woman died?" Oliver asked with grim undertones.

"Oh no, that IS sad. It's just… her death is the catalyst to Palmer's path down heroics. The irony here is that THIS version's particular end would probably accelerate Ray's research into the thing that became his calling card. Typically, had the damage been worse and the team fractured, he would buy out Queen Consolidated before renaming it and try to rebuild this city for the better, a phoenix rising from the ashes as it were. He would build a suit of armor to take care of the city's vigilante problems, believing that air superiority and the suits advancements would be enough to deal with any issue. It was only later that… you know what, I am rambling. All you need to know is that Ray is a good man with good intentions who creates a suit with an underappreciated ability. A bit air-headed at times and too willing to see the good in people, but his heart is in the right place."

Oliver smile returned. "Trust me, I know. He came in hoping to work with me in developing better rescue-related technologies and devices. He practically salivated when he learned we had Mister Terrific on board already."

I raised a brow, trying to control myself. "Mister Terrific?"

Oliver shrugged. "A joke on Sara's part for Holt. A little too on the nose, though."

Oh, you have no idea.

Speaking of Ray…

"Any word from Felicity?"

Oliver looked at me in confusion. "No, not really. I mean, she left the team. It's not like we parted on bad terms, but, you know, she did say she didn't want to be contacted. Last I checked, she was in Vegas. Why, should I be concerned?"

Considering her father is The Calculator and the fact Helix is around… Note to self, look into Ricardo Diaz and the Quadrant, or at least leave enough breadcrumbs for Oliver to follow.

That or have Gideon check Bruce's files to see if he has contingencies in place.

"No, just curious. It's not like her to just find a place to hide and burrow. Especially if she is visiting her mom."

"Her mom lives in Vegas?"

"Born and raised, Jewish proud. Felicity took more after her father, though."

Oliver gave me a look.

"What?"

"You have a habit of slipping breadcrumbs into conversations that seem harmless to you but have far-reaching ramifications and revelations to anyone else."

Am I that predictable?

"I do not leave clues…"

"Savage?"

I paused. "Roy asked about that, I didn't hint anything."

"So you DO drop hints?" Oliver smirked.

Damn it.

"I avoid dropping spoilers for possible futures – I trained myself better than that. Events that occurred in the past, however, have ways of slipping through my filter. Especially when I monologue."

Oliver leaned back into his chair. "At least you know your problem." He looked at his watch, "Got to go – Laurel and I have a lunch date to keep."

"Where are you eating out?"

He shook his head. "No, I made lunch this time around."

"What did you make?"

"Chili."

Oh, Laurel's poor taste buds.

* * *

 _An undisclosed amount of time passes…_

You know, this was going to happen eventually.

Despite keeping myself busy – going over my list and checking it twice – it's just too darn easy to get things done when you may as well have all the time in the world.

Batman Clan? Check.

Arrow Team? Check.

Themyscira? Too soon. Give the girls more time to settle before I introduce them to the greatest innovations of Man's World.

Patrol the city? My duplicate is maintaining the civilian cover, Weather Wizard Lite is going to be making an appearance sometime soon, and Gideon is still not talking to me after the whole Granny Weatherwax fiasco.

Sue me, I honestly did not think she would react to the notion of a reality where LOGIC was a superpower in such a manner.

The Black Sabbath Brigade – my robot dudes – said that it gave them ideas.

I fear the consequence of near-sentient drones weaponizing logic.

Was The Metal a thing yet? I mean, Aquaman has the Clear, Ivy and Holland have the Green, Vixen and B'wana Beast have the Red.

And wasn't that observation a trippy experience. It's one thing to see Maxwell fuse animals together. It's another to actually monitor and calculate the output of just what the hell he was doing. I am just happy he has yet to stumble into adding humans into the mix or otherwise I would have to significantly bump up his threat level, especially since he is close to figuring out how to defuse his creations.

Damn it, went on a tangent again.

At least now I can add looking into the Arcane Family in regards to the Black, find out if the White really did put an elemental spirit into Red Tornado, and whether or not the Grey was even a thing.

My god does traveling across the Omniverse give one hell of a lesson in crazy batshit trivia.

Like knowing about the fact that there also exists the Melt and the Divided.

Thank the powers I haven't slipped into the Metaverse tangent.

Small miracle that they don't have Avatars for them. All that overlooked power and aspect of life channeled through one being? Yeah, it doesn't matter how insignificant Bacteria is, its Avatar would still give the likes of Superman an ass-whooping.

Speaking of Superman…

I've been avoiding going to Metropolis for… personal reasons. This Lois Lane just left a bad taste in my mouth that I just could not shake.

It already caused me to miss some fun stuff in the previous months.

I missed meeting Lobo himself when he came to collect Superman – wanted to install 'Born to be Wild' on his hog. The only positive from that is that I now know the Fortress is in place.

The Lana Lang dating/spying on Lex fandangle also happened, as did Superman backing up Dan Turpin with the whole Intergang weapon fiasco.

I REALLY should have gotten involved when Parasite got mind screwed by Earl Garver. Police get one good idea of how to use a somewhat good-behavior maintaining metahuman's power to get information, yet get crucified by Lane's mighty pen before they can implement corrections to do it again and again.

Seriously, Rudy's power would have been the ultimate interrogation technique had they been allowed to correct the unforeseeable issues, like finally getting approval for Rudy to see a goddam shrink once in a while. Media entertainment can only cloud his thoughts for so long before he has to psychoanalyze himself and fall into the supervillain bottomless pit of lunacy.

And nothing else so far, I checked before coming into town. For example, Leslie Willis is still a shock jock, meaning that we are still firmly pre-season two of the cartoon.

Small miracles. Livewire is firmly on top of the Electrokinesis food chain in the DC Universe, and that's before we start considering beings of pure energy or gods. Black Lightning and Static have nothing on just how much sheer power she would have at her disposal.

Unfortunately, nothing would have prepared me for the bizarreness I entered into when I got near the Daily Planet.

I couldn't help but smile as I shifted my appearance.

Time to stack more dominoes

* * *

"Hey, Super, get a load of me. The ultimate smart bomb, complete with a Kryptonite warhead."

Clark was somewhat glad that as powerful as the little imp was, he clearly didn't think that much ahead.

Granted, the Kryptonite was an issue, but it gave him the smoke trail necessary to start spelling out his name backwards. He would have distracted and ignored him till his impatience snapped and cause him to go on a tantrum rage and possibly say Kltpzyxm twice.

But he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Avoiding the missile, becoming lethargic enough to bedbound him for the foreseeable day, as well as fly into the Daily Planet's planet was a small price to pay.

Shaking my head, I watched the missile transform back into Mister Mxyzptlk as he sauntered over to me, walking on air.

"I won! I won! In your face, Superman."

I couldn't help but feel a sense of schadenfreude. "No, loser. In yours."

And just as I was about to turn his head around, a red arm grabbed mine.

While the other hand was holding a bucket of buttered popcorn.

"Oh, come now, Clark, the guy was just having some fun. No need to spoil it and lock him out of this reality."

"Thunder?" I managed to state in surprise. What was he doing in town? More importantly, how was he even aware that Mxy…

"Barry? What are you doing in town? You were supposed to be here four episodes ago."

I didn't know what was more frightening: that 'Barry' knew Mxyzptlk or that he was happy to see him… What did he mean by episodes?

"You are thinking of a different continuity, time doesn't stick as strictly as it did before in this string."

Mxyzptlk tipped his head to the side. "Really?" He proceeded to make his head into a slot machine before pulling on a lever and hitting triple sevens. "Okay, got the information synch. It looks like you managed to amalgamate the universes a bit. That or I made a wrong turn at Albuquerque."

Clark watched Thunder shrug. "Come on Mxy, you are a Lord of Chaos; you're better than that. I just accidentally made THIS particular string the dominant one. You never bothered updating your anchor parameters and simply transferred when the dominancy did."

Clark raised a brow. Lord of Chaos? He said he was a 5th Dimensional Being.

"HEY! No spilling secrets here, Barry."

"You just revealed my name to Superman."

"But you know who Superman is already!"

WHAT!? Clark though in shock and fear, finally realizing that Thunder did refer to him as Clark.

"Mxy, I know everyone's name. Hell, I traveled with several fragments of you as they taught me everything I needed to know about existence. And what was the first thing you taught me?"

Mxyzptlk rubbed his chin in thought. "Never show anyone your full power?"

"Clearly not that one, but good to know you're following it. What's the second rule you taught me?"

"Always be the smartest being in the immediate environment?"

"That's the one. And having one up on Batman is a must in my book."

I watched in shock as Mxyzptlk laughed himself silly. "Oh sweet googly goo, you got one over on Bats? Oh, that's priceless! By the way, did the skywriting dissipate yet?"

I stared at him in shock. "You knew?"

Mxyzptlk gave that conman smile. "Supes, of course I knew! Like I told you, I was here for fun and games. In the year I have been visiting, have I ever left lasting damage?"

"Considering that I managed to make you leave in moments the last three times, that doesn't alleviate the tension."

"Oh, so this fragment went easy on him?" Thunder asked in confusion.

Mxyzptlk shrugged in an exaggerated matter. "This is the more calm and collected version of Superman, he isn't as arrogant as the others so I don't have to REALLY screw with him."

"Um, what?"

"Let me take over Mxy. Let's consider this a draw – Superman got you to write the name backwards twice, but you didn't visually confirm it. Just go back to Gsptlsnz, she has been nagging me the last time that you were spreading yourself too thin as it is."

I watched in mystified awe as Mxyzptlk sighed in resignation. "Fine, fine. Not like I actually need to wait three months anymore to visit my pal here."

"Hey, I did not make the connections so you could have easier access torturing your playmates."

Clark couldn't help but think he was going to need one hell of a drink after this. Small mercy that the Fortress has a station that could create alcohol that could get past his system.

"Still," Mxyzptlk smirked as he nudged my shoulders. "Doesn't mean I won't keep my deal. 'Sides, could be fun messing around with other heroes in these parts."

"Just keep in mind that I have plans as well, Mxy. That and Batmite called dibs."

Mxy raised an inflated finger. "Mite doesn't have a claim on this corner, not enough power to fragment himself in too many edges. And yeah, I've been tasting your ripples when I entered but didn't bother looking into it. But seriously, those two?"

Thunder shook his head, "Not just them – many others as well. Kind of why I was going to stop by here."

"Ah, say no more," Mxy waved his hands in good cheer. "Don't want to get in the way of you introducing more variables into the fold. Well, toodles!"

Watching everything return to normal as Mxyzptlk exploded like a balloon, but me not returning to my desk was odd.

"Don't worry about it. Mxy skipped on the vinyl as it were. No one noticed you missing nor question it. Heck, no time passed either."

Taking Thunder's comments for granted, I quickly observed the clock tower miles away for confirmation.

Him chewing and finishing his popcorn pulled me back. "So, let's start fresh – HI! My name is Barry, I know you are Clark, and we have SO much to chat about. Soda Pop?"

Clearly, being caught off guard was going to be a thing with this guy since I didn't see him hold that soda anywhere on him.

Still took the soda – like Ma taught me better than not to accept gifts with honest intentions. "Hello. If I may ask, how do you know my name? I do take efforts to keep it hidden."

Thunder shrugged. "Full disclosure? I have traveled the Omniverse and have observed and/or met other versions of you. The only time you have a different name is if you don't land in Kansas."

I couldn't resist but raise a brow. "Omniverse? Can I assume it is a step above Multiverse in its reach and spread?"

Clearly, that pleased Thunder. "Correct. You are the first to have made that connection. Kryptonians were working on that particular branch of physics before its destruction via Brainiac?"

Clark had to sigh. "This is going to be a thing with you, isn't it – holding all the cards in the conversation?"

"Yes, yes it is. Mxy taught me well."

"Yes… so, Lord of Chaos? Fragments?"

Thunder waved his hand, another drink appearing in his hand as he started to sip through his mask… somehow. "Lords of Order and Chaos are TECHNICALLY entities in the broader scheme of things that have been part of a never-ending battle between opposites and dualities. Calling it a fight between good and evil is too basic and lax depth to encapsulate it in all totality. Their agents and avatars gain access to a broad spectrum of powers and energy manipulations that fall under the general purview of magic with specific limitations and rules. They can get around it by linking themselves to items – or totems being the better term in the situation – but they have such a twisted sense of morality compared to 'lower' life forms that they prefer to keep their battels at higher planes. Don't get me started on unaligned deities and gods that led to other magics that muddle up the whole system."

"But it is a broad stroke of description, though, right? A fight between good and evil, right and wrong?"

"It is, but by the same token, even the Yin-Yang symbol has a little of the other in the larger pool, like a decent German during WWII or a corrupt man in a utopia. It is systematically wrong to hope or want this battle to end since too much of one teeters the balance and 'breaks' the board. I prefer to think of it as more of a struggle of stagnation against anarchy – there is a fine line of balance that must be maintained for life to keep going just a little longer."

Clark rubbed his chin in thought. "That… does make some sense. Life, in essence, is chaos encapsulated, but without order in it, life wouldn't have a direction and just spread without purpose. But too much chaos makes life rampant, savage, a cancer in the making. Its sort of like life without death."

"You are working on the assumption that that order is the same as purpose, but your statement is not wrong – but in the metaphor, Order would be death. In any case, Chaos and Order have their extremists and their more passive members trying to maintain balance. Mxy is a high ranking member on the SIDE of Chaos. His title of 'Lord' is earned. Doesn't mean he should be underestimated as you may have deduced."

"The fragment statement… he splinters himself since he is too powerful to make his presence not collapse the world around him."

"More so that the Toon Force doesn't break the 4th Wall but close. He splinters himself so he can be in multiple places at once, making different decisions and actions in each one. Chaos keeps the entropy of existence going, but the standard deviation bell curve has to be maintained. He may be 'Good' in this string, but to maintain counterbalance…"

Clark's eyes bulged. "He has to 'Bad' in another. How bad?"

Thunder stood still as he considered his response. "It's better that you don't know. Suffice to say, he makes JOKER look tame by comparison. Think of the most inane and insane situations and beings willed into existence, where synesthesia is not a condition but a matter of perspective, as a concept can have a feel and taste while a liquid may shift phases of matter based on its own perception of self. The laws of physics change on a whim of a madman from moments or never, where the view of self can be based on the views of others or even the demented god who has made his insanity external. It creates situations where the sky can become peanut butter, voices can sound like a thousand Jam and Jellies, and the heavens can be flocked by a thousand feather dusting turtles made of apricots made of delirium. Chaos in its prime form if terrifying to the unaccustomed as is Order insanity-inducing to the unprepared. I have been trained to TOLERATE both to a degree but that took me decades to do so. When Mxy says he was going easy on you, he meant it. He has to set rules and limitations to himself or else he can easily shatter this string of existence which is detrimental to the grand scheme of things and his survival."

Clark whipped away the cold sweat that formed on his brow. "Survival? But you make him sound…"

"All-powerful? Believe me, Clark, Mxy is up there but he is a Lord in name only, unlike the TRUE Lords of Chaos who embody it. He also isn't that high on the totem pole of power hierarchy either. He has the skills to put up a fight, but there are enough people above him on both sides of the spectrum that can… remove him… if he ever acts outside of everyone's best interests."

Clark finished his drink and tried to smile. "This conversation has devolved in the wrong direction, hasn't it?"

Thunder rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, quickly shifting demeanor gears. "Sorry about that. Here I am, coming to the city to say hello to the Man of Steel, and we managed to switch to a discussion about the greater powers."

Clark chuckled. "As long as God is somewhere there, that's all I need to know."

Flash waved his hand side to side. Clark decided not to press the issue. "So, just passing through?"

Thunder shrugged. "I've met the Arrow Team and the Bat Clan, you were just a little harder to meet and greet in one place and me going to your apartment raises too many questions if someone happens to be looking in that direction."

"Fair enough. You plan to meet Kara at a later point?"

"I decided to leave her alone for now. The girl just finished college and has to work with Cat Grant of all people in a new city. Give her time to settle before deciding to drop an existential crisis on her head."

Clark smiled. "Well, in any case, it was nice meeting you. I think people are starting to notice my absence and there is an article I have to finish for tomorrow's byline."

Clark caught Thunder's grimace. "What? Not a fan of reporters?"

"No, just not a fan of a particular reporter."

Before Clark could get a chance to ask, a phone alarm went off.

"WHOOPS!" Thunder stated in surprise as he checked the screen, "Got to go – I have an appointment to keep. Hopefully, next time we meet under better circumstances and have a chance to have an actual conversation. Besides, I haven't given you a gift yet. So, SEE YA!"

Clark watched as Thunder 'hurricanes' himself away. Having no reason to observe his coming and goings, Clark shrugged before speeding away and changing into his 'persona' without anyone being the wiser.

He was about to sit at his work table before he caught a crowed gathering around a radio. And based on the enraged emotion on Lois's face, Clark was willing to bet that Leslie Willis was tearing him a new one.

Listening to her for only a few seconds revealed that he was very, VERY wrong.

* * *

 _A few minutes earlier…_

Lex Luthor was having a decently good day. Profits were holding, his deals in Kaznia were still secure, Mercy wasn't giving him a headache over his ire with Superman, and according to call he just finished, the cloning project in the mountains was nearing completion, and the first clone was near ready to go.

And now he was on his way to his office to prep his meal before listening to Leslie Wilkins tear Superman a new one.

He had just entered and locked the room to his office before he realized that someone was already inside.

Noting that the white figure was simply looking through his office window – his back to the entrance and the undistributed work desk – Lex simply smirked and continued on, undeterred.

He did, however, quickly click the remote in his suit to activate his office defense systems.

"I know that I have a great view of the city, but breaking into my office just to gaze upon it seems a bit too much, even for a suit."

Lex observed the figure slowly turn and look at him before turning back. The turn was enough for Lex to frown as thoughts began firing through his neurons.

The figure alone was imposing enough, clearly trained, and honed for combat. Lex was in decent shape and Mercy made sure he could take care of himself, but he was no fool. His chances dropped even lower when he spotted the lightning insignia on the character. He knew of the duo Thunder and Lightning, but he was unaware of this one. A trifecta instead? He was a rogue element, but he had a high chance of coming out of this unharmed if he plaid his cards right and assumed that this individual had at least some similarities of morality compared to his partners.

" **It is a beautiful city, yes. The view isn't as enticing as the one from on top of the Daily Planet, but it is more… focused. Directed even. The pathway designed just enough so that the rising sun basks this building specifically before the rest of its neighbors. And not a hindrance in sight nor any sort of blemish on the roads or buildings in the alignment. Truly, something that could only be done by an individual who wanted to see such a beauty every morning and went out of his way to ensure it. Bravo to you, Alexander Joseph Luthor**."

Only years of dealing with backstabbers and pit vipers in the business and the criminal world had prevented Lex from flinching or stopping his pace toward his desk. His speech alone raised red flags in Lex's head, warning him that this was NOT going to be someone as optimistic and 'good' as Superman. Nor was he as mentally deficient or uninformed as others he would interact on a daily basis. Getting his first name would not be difficult, but his middle name? No, that would take effort and digging of files Lex went out of his way to bury so that his ties back to Suicide Slums wouldn't be discovered.

Lex smirked, keeping the conversation going. "Well, you are clearly more appreciative of the view than the last superhero I have had in this room. Can I have the name of the one who managed to sneak into my office to gaze upon my kingdom?"

The figure faced Lex and looked at his extended hand. Being this close to the individual was risk – who knew what abilities he had at this fingertips? But, Lex figured who was in the good odds, and the figure shook his hands. " **I go by Shunkan. Not very creative, but to the informed it gets the point across.** "

Lex shook the figure's hand long enough to get at least some semblance of a read on him. All he could gather from that was that he wasn't petty enough to try and play the ''super-strength' card. But his name was another matter.

'Moment.'

An odd name choice but one that painted a rather grim picture of what his power COULD be considering the speeds that Lightning could reach and that winds that Thunder could generate.

Deciding to play it safe, Lex decided to admire the noon view as well.

"So what brings a man like yourself down here among us mortals?"

" **That's a rather cynical to describe the man who has the audacity to face a god as his equal."**

Lex raised a brow. "Oh? A god is he now? Rather narcissistic of Superman to consider himself so above pity mortals."

Shunkan chuckled. " **That wasn't a soliloquy or fanciful twist of tongue. Superman, despite his humble origins, is the closest one can get to a god on the mortal plane."**

That grinded Lex's gears. "He is an invader, nothing more."

" **He is an immigrant, a naturalized citizen if the term could apply. Has been since he crashed on this planet as a toddler and raised in the Bible Belt."**

That halted all thought processes in Luthor's mind, practically derailing whatever argument was he about to make.

Shunkan caught his 'blue screen' moment. **"What? Did you believe that he was some invading vanguard send in to weaken to people or give them false hope? Cause a dependency on him? Or were you under the assumption that there weren't other bipedal mammalian species in the cosmos that didn't at least cosmetically appear human? Just for the record, the Drake Equation is significantly off and multiple alien species could pass off as humans, with or without some slight disguises that wouldn't need technological assistance."**

Lex finally regained his calm. "The Bible Belt? Really?"

Shunkan shrugged. " **He crash-landed there a few decades back. Superman never did give you the full-story behind Brainiac, did he?"**

Lex recalled the warning he was given. "He said that he was a collector of knowledge and that he destroyed whatever planet he passed by. Talked about a planet called Krypton that he showed him via some orb. Figured he just showed him where that green meteorite came from to feed his curiosity."

" **What Superman didn't tell you was that Krypton was his home planet – and Brainiac's 'first' victim."**

"What irony. Superman being allergic to his home planet. An irradiated home planet, but planet all the same. Any other surprises you want to drop on my lap?"

" **Other than stating that your cloning project will reach a messy end? Not really,"** Shunkan shrugged nonchalantly to Lex's surprised glare. " **I just wanted to meet the man who embodied the paragon of humanity – both ends of it."**

"Paragon? Please, I am degenerate as they come, I have no shame in admitting that."

" **In this reality."**

"Pardon?"

Shunkan 'smiled' at Lex. " **I am very well-traveled. I have seen A LOT in this grand Omniverse of ours."**

This… could be very enlightening. The multiverse theory has been getting traction for years now and here was a chance to speak someone who claimed to have seen iterations of himself? Granted, it was ego-driven self-satisfaction, but his curiosity was peaked. "Oh? So am I a good guy in these realities?"

Shunkan gave Lex his full undivided focus. " **In all realities, you embody the worse and best traits of humanity, sometimes at the same time. Their drive, their ambitions, their adaptability, their capacity for great deeds and feats. There is never such a thing as your 'average' Lex Luthor – except for the few outliers, but those are a given. No, you're either the embodiment of depravity, corruption, and greed, the epitome of a supervillain OR you're are the champion, hero, and bringer of humanities Golden Age. There is absolutely no middle ground with you – either the side of angels and demons, no alternatives, no grey area, no such thing as non-participation. In any case, your exploits stand above legends not just on Earth, but in the infinite – more so when you are a hero but's that's because heroes face greater challenges. But you know, high risk, high reward."**

Lex… was stumped. Him, a hero? A paragon of good? Inconceivable. "Give me some examples."

" **Boy, where do I start. Well, to get them out of the way, there is a whole collection of Earths that have either reverse moralities or just plain reverse allegiances a la heroes are villains a vice versa, so you are more often than not the leader of whatever hero or justice league is present there. Then there are the realities where Superman doesn't land in America – the more well-known one is one where he falls in Russia in the late '30s. Long story short, you are president of the US and you are responsible for not just stopping the worldwide expanse of Communism but also leading humanity via the new philosophy of "Luthorism" and a "Global United States" for the next thousand years. Yes, a MILLENNIUM."**

Shunkan smirked at Lex's shocked expression.

" **I can go on and on infinite what with everything and anything being possible in existence in the long run, but those examples were rather fresh in my mind. I could easily tell you of realities in which you turn America into a police state, or where you sold out humanity for alien godhood or even where you were willing to allow a near-human extinction event to occur just so that you could 'rebuild humanity for the better.' Granted, you weren't wholly coherent in that last one but still, the end goal."**

Lex could barely contain his rage. "In what blasted twisted reality could I be so shortsighted as to threaten humanity?!"

" **The ones where your hatred of Superman consumes you?"** Shunkan stated in confusion. " **I mean, it's not like you aren't on the same path – you have 30% of your budget diverted and hidden into projects just to either incapacitate, cripple, replace, or end Superman. You get some money back from discoveries and applications whatnot, but still, that's a little obsessive. What has Superman ever done to you PERSONALLY to warrant such animosity?"**

Shunkan raised his hand before Lex could retort. " **And don't say weakening the species – he is one man in one city in the big world. The worst that he has done that can be applied to your argument is that he gets involved in natural disaster aide relief. He isn't called upon to do construction projects or city work, he doesn't catch and interrogate common criminals like some judge and jury, nor does he interfere in any other government agency investigations or procedures. The only argument you have against him is that you are either a villain deep down trying to be above the rest of the 'mortals' around him or you are pissed that he keeps destroying buildings you own when he faces villains YOU create. Or are you going to argue that Metallo wasn't one of yours? Because seriously, you have one throbbing hate boner for the blue lug."**

"And what if I am a villain, a crook? Are you going to stop me?"

Shunkan looked out the window. " **Not at all."**

"What?"

" **Oh, don't get me wrong, you aren't a saint. But you are no worse than any other less than dubious businessman in the world. Except you have intelligence, will, and money that others don't. I mean, honestly, do you really see yourself dressing up and getting into the shenanigans like those other costumed 'villains'?"**

Lex calmed down. "No, I do not. But that doesn't answer the question."

" **Look Lex's, you are more useful to humanity alive because like it or not, you are pushing us forward, maybe even dragging it, regardless of your practices and dealings. Could you cut back on them and still get the same results? Probably, you would find a way to make it work. Do I have to worry about you actually becoming a supervillain? Maybe, it's still in the cards if you don't consider turning it around. Become president for shits and giggles? As you are now, you would lose too much power to what you have now and find the task too paperwork intensive. In the end, there is no 'push' to do anything to you – even Superman understands that."**

Lex wasn't following the plot. "So what, you came here to chat and give me a twisted form of warning against being a villain? Because you are being rather obtuse in your message."

Shunkan sighed as we walked toward the radio, fiddling with it. " **Guess I am a little scatterbrained today. Look, all I am saying Lex's is that it's not too late to change your methods. You are more likely projecting your anger at the lack of humanity's advancement on Superman because, I don't know, he embodies the potential of humanity? I really don't know how you think. I am just suggesting that it wouldn't be detrimental for you alter your objectivity – instead of being Superman's enemy, why not be his tester? Look at the bigger picture, take a step back, and test him. You fear that he can't embody what he stands for? Prove it. Show the world that he is or isn't the peoples champion and defender."**

"That's a tall order you are suggesting. And what makes you think I'll even do it."

Shunkan smiled as he turned the station to the right frequency. " **Like I said, you are the paragon of humanity – I never said you couldn't switch sides. Besides, if you ever did make the wrong choice, I'll just deal with you like I did with Joker."**

Lex broke into a cold sweat when he heard the _power_ and intonation behind that statement.

" **In any case, I'll make it easier for. Well, my associate will if he manages to keep the conversation civil. It was good talking to you."**

And just like that, in a split moment – a blink – he was gone.

And the program started.

" _Wake up, Metropolis! Oh, yeah, the Livewire's back on the air, baby. The queen-babe of all media, your mistress of the airwaves. The one, the only, Leslie Willis. Shouting out to you on WLXL, 95. And boy, do I have a VERY special guest with me today folks, all the way from Central City…"_

Lex was so engrossed to the show that he actually lost track of time, and he forgot to eat his meal, the conversation from before percolating in his mind.

As the show ran to a close, Lex decided to at least… indulge… Shunkan's suggestion.

What seeled the deal was a package on the side of the desk. When he opened it, there was a large but odd chunk of metal he couldn't immediately identify or categorize inside. A challenge, or a parting gift? A side project for when he has the time.

He picked up the phone and made the call. "Ring… Ring… it's me… No, it's not about the clone… No, it's about the others on standby, I want you to pause them… I am aware of the possible money lost, don't concern yourself with that… I am concerned about the warning of genetic instability one of you mentioned… yes, that would make running them even more consuming… I want you to divert your resources into a new project… same vein, except we are taking a suggestion from your end and adding more human DNA… I am aware of the potential power loss but that won't be the point of the project… let's call it a proof of concept sort of deal as well as how much information can be added to a growing clone… no, I will take a personal hand on the data packet front… name of the project? Call it Project Kr for now. As for the human sample? Well, I can't donate a hair sample but I will be there to make a blood deposit… I can fire you for that insinuation, doctor… just because I don't advertise it doesn't mean that I don't appreciate the female form… really? The bald head is what makes people… look, this conversation has gone off the rails, can you get it started? Good, do the estimates of cost and completion, have the early numbers on my setup by the end of the day."

Lex finished the call before sitting at his deck to quickly complete the meal and get back to work. "Hm… antagonize Superman instead of fighting him… I could give it a shot. Wonder how long it would take for him to snap from paranoia if I don't do anything overtly 'evil'? What do the kids call it these days – trolling?"

* * *

 _Further back and parallel in time..._

"…all the way from Central City. The guy practically ran into my studio WANTING an interview and wouldn't take no for an answer. The one and only, Lightning!"

"Thanks for having me today, Leslie," Lightning laughed into his mike.

Leslie smirked and leaned forward from her end closer to her mike. "But seriously, of all the people I thought I would be facing opposite of me, a supes was not one of them. So what gives?"

Lightning laughed. "Well, with your moniker, I couldn't help myself. I mean Livewire? It's just so electrifying." To make a point, Leslie jumped back a bit as he channeled yellowed streams of energy from between his fingers.

"I guess that true, but still, I am rather vocal on my views on a certain, shall we say, blue boy-scout. I have been barraging him as of late. Figured you hero guys wouldn't be too appreciative of that."

"Please," chuckled Lightning. "You got the freedom of speech on your side to make your opinions heard. If it's one popular with the people, more power to ya. Besides, it's not like I disagree with some of the things you are saying."

Leslie froze. "Beg pardon?"

"Oh, come now, do you think I would disagree with you? Granted, you can rephrase your rants against Superman for fewer issues from the rest of Metropolis, but you aren't wrong – Superman is being treated like a celebrity."

"THANK YOU!" shouted Leslie in cheer. "Someone finally says! I mean, come on, it's like the Daily Planet is trying to put the wool over people's eyes with their admiration of him."

"Can you blame them? The news is a slowly dying behemoth, and they have to do what they can to keep our interests. But having Lois Lane turning Superman's heroics into the equivalent of celebrity pieces? I thought she was a hard-hitting journalist, not a tabloid reporter. I mean, if Superman gets that kind of treatment, why not real heroes who are actually at risk in the line of duty like firemen or police officers? What, does he need a social media account to stay in contact with his fans by posting images of his inane daily tasks? I get it if Superman claps and stops a hurricane but look at this latest piece – Superman appears at a fundraiser for rescue animals to add support and whoever wrote the byline makes it seem like he spearheaded the damn thing. It glosses over everyone ACTUALLY involved. Lane has set up a bad precedence in reporting about superheroes and its time it got nipped in the bud, HARD."

"HA! Burn! I can't disagree with you on that front. Still, rather focused on Lane, aren't we? This ain't some form of twisted love triangle scenario, right?"

"Hold your horses, Speedy Gonzales. If anything, this is the result of some twisted affection on her part toward Superman. You know I ran the numbers and found out that ever since Superman started 'working' for the city, her output of radical and truth shattering stories skyrocket by the same amount as her risk-taking? Great gadzooks, she should have been dead by now based on the odds I ran! I mean, being rescued once or twice by the man is one thing, but her chances of death have skyrocketed to unprecedented proportions after he got involved in that whole stolen power armor heist. It wouldn't be wrong to say that she is abusing her 'relationship' with Superman to get herself out of life-threatening jams just to get a story. Heck, I think she has forgotten how investigative journalist are actually supposed to work. NEWS FLASH MISS LANE! Barging into a warehouse to interrogate criminals is not how people get credible facts!"

"TESTIFY! You are savage, my man!"

"Not savage, just a man with some semblance of common sense and the authority to call her out on her hypocrisy. Superman has been reported on live tv multiple times that he doesn't want to be treated any different than other 'normal' heroes of this city and is just 'doing what is right for no reward' yet Lois keeps on adding to his image. She even goes out of her way to vilify individuals to build up his mythos."

Leslie couldn't help but smirk wider and wider. Her ratings would be through the roof after this. "Go on, you seem to be on the role here, my flashy friend."

"Let's look at what she has done. Parasite? Victim of circumstance, accidental chemical exposure, new to his powers, basically comes off like someone on a drug trip who couldn't control himself and went on a bender. No one died, there were no crippling injuries, and the man could have made up what he owned to the city if she hadn't misinterpreted the whole fiasco with Earl Garver."

"Yeah, what did happen in that? She reported that Rudy Jones broke out and went to find and activate the bombs on his own after he 'drained' the scientist."

"What Lois so conveniently forgot to report – or just avoided mentioning since I don't believe Perry would ever allow such a lie of omission to be printed – is that Rudy accidentally absorbed a copy of Earl's personality, something he wasn't aware he could do. I won't name names, but someone in the room got impatient with how long Rudy was taking and basically hamfisted him into rushing the process. And wouldn't you know it, Graves's mind was too strong for the already mentally fragile Rudy and he took over. Thank the powers that Superman managed to get Rudy to fight back for control of his body in a crucial moment and defuse the bomb. And yet, after Rudy is cured of the persona, and he goes right back to his cell without psychological treatment because he has just been further vilified."

"That definitely puts a new spin on it. Still, that's a superhuman example. Her other stories about gangs and cartels still hold ground."

"Okay, that's true, but what about her constantly taking a stab at Luthor?"

"Now you are just picky – everyone knows that Lexy got his hands in many pockets, and Mr. Clean he is not."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean you have to automatically implicate HIM directly responsible for whatever perceived slight or crime he may or may not have committed. Any other big company like Wayne or Queen gets a robbery, injustice, or malpractice crop up, they manage to find whoever is responsible and deal with it, sometimes publically. All companies that get that large can't keep track of all their divisions' heads, managers, and projects. I mean, Wayne was almost responsible for further deforestation of the Amazon because someone in a minor subdivision in South America was doing something illegal and made it seem Wayne himself spearheaded the project. If that was a Lex on that company paperwork instead of Wayne, Lois would have found some way to tie it DIRECTLY back to Luthor."

"Are you saying that Lex's isn't corrupt?"

"I am saying that no one is infallible and that Lois should stop shouting wolf when there isn't one. You don't see her equivalents for Bruce or Oliver doing what she is doing. If they did what she did in their respective towns, they would be blackballed from the profession, but low and behold, Lois has an in with Superman which means she gets to go away scot-free with her works. She is making a bad standard for current and future writes as to how they portray super-powered individuals and their interactions. With the way she is going, she is going to slowly change the people's opinions of Lex to the point where he will practically be forced to BE a supervillain because that's what society demands of him for the mythos. Believe me, more superheroes are going to come out of the woodwork, and if we continue to represent their 'fights' with powered 'criminals' in the same light as she is doing now, we are going to be spending a lot of tax paying money to house these so-called 'supervillains' instead then treating them and finding a way to drive them away from truancy and use their power for better and legal endeavors. The pen is mightier than the sword here and that pen should not be in the hands of people like her."

Leslie slowly turned serious through the whole tirade. This was no longer a shock piece, but a political statement and she has to steer the ship in the right direction. "Then whose hands should they be in? And while on that topic, what about your accounts? You get good press as well – not to the same degree as Superman…"

"Because Thunder and I stay out of crimes we aren't needed. That and we don't have a Lois who we rescue on a weekly or hell, daily basis, because reporters in Central City have some semblance of survival instincts. Do we help finish houses or pave the roads if we are passing by? Yes, because that helps and saves people in the long run. Do we aide police apprehend escaping criminals or the empowered individual? Yes, but we don't interrogate them nor do we do our own investigations. We don't have the training for that nor the desire to do the necessary paperwork. Criminals already get released on the thinnest of technicalities with their lawyers and we don't want to add to that. As to your first question? The people that have to be involved are lawmakers and lawyers setting new precedents of these empowered criminals as well as how they react to their new powers. Also, new psych evaluations have to be prepared – who knows what caused these powers to appear in people or if they caused their alteration in behavior? It may be too late for some criminals already present like in Gotham, but future criminals have to treated right from the get-go BEFORE they get labeled and get tossed into the sinkhole."

"Okay. I see where you are coming from; treat the issue before they fall into a hole they can't escape from. Then how would you deal with…"

The rest of the conversation went along the same vein, talking about the rising of superheroes, their presence, the pros and cons of having a hero in a city, whether or not they can be part of the broader police and federal enforcement branches, whether or not their identities should be known by the government, the legality of possible deputizing of private citizens, 'demanding' people to use their 'abilities' for the greater good, and so forth and so forth.

In the end, this would end up to be Leslie's most listened to broadcast, one that would elevate her from a popular shock jock to a potentially powerful voice of the new generation.

To many in power or in the know, it was a reminder that they had to play their cards right or bury their 'expenditures' further away from pubic scrutiny in regards to superpowers.

To Bruce and Oliver, it was a reminder to get more involved with the people so that their nighttime activities don't become illegal and to pay more attention to their enterprises.

To Lex, it was just more weight to what Shunkan stated earlier. His future was still mercurial, but the foundation's markers have been planted.

And to Clark, well, other than preventing Lois going on a rampage all the way to Leslie's office due to being a lightning rod of Lightning's ire, he also made two promises.

One, he would get more involved in monitoring the stories she writes. Since he was usually involved in whatever story she was putting on the next's day headline, he got into a habit of not reading what she was recounting. Clearly, that was an error on his part.

And two, the next time he rescued her, he would 'lay down the law' and give her a warning that he wasn't her personal safety net. He wouldn't be held responsible anymore if she went out of her way to put herself in danger. If other reporters can get the same results in a more extended period and get recognition for it, then he can't be held accountable for her risk-taking behavior to expedite the investigation.

* * *

 _Central City…._

"Creator Barry?"

"Yes Gideon?"

"Why did you leave the Uru with Luthor? I can understand the rest of your actions: you are laying the dominoes, setting up small little changes that will have significant effects down the line. But Luthor? I don't see the reason behind your actions like I can't see the reason why you are fostering whatever will emerge from this behemoth of an egg."

Gideon did have a point. The egg was six feet heigh and counting and the heat lamp and podium weren't doing it anymore.

"Let's just say I need a pet sidekick, and The Atoms shrinking technology will me allow me to keep this one on a leash."

"But Lex…"

"You know that compared to Adamantium and Vibranium, Uru is unusual in that you can't really alter it with science. To really do anything with it other than simply using it as an energy sponge, the user has to have a decent grasp of magic."

"Yes, just what the world needs – a Luthor with magic at his side. Like the DC Universe didn't need a Doctor Doom."

"Better then a Luthor. At least Victor kept his word AND had good intentions, methods otherwise standing. In any case, the road to learning magic is a road of self-discovery. As I have learned from the Sorcerer Supreme, magic has a way of testing its initiates and showing them the 'truth' about them."

Gideon analyzed that statement. "You are banking on Lex's 'discovering' himself? What if he discovers that he must become a villain?"

"Something I learned a long time ago is that no individual – especially an enterprising one – is naturally inclined toward destruction. The act of making something, of creation, is inherently harder than the act of destruction. Olethros learned that the hard way. For someone like Lex to put the effort that he did into creating his empire and image makes one think that destruction is not at the forefront of his psyche – at least in this reality."

"Those are still rather long odds."

"Which is why I am creating a situation where being a hero, or at least not being a villain, is a better option. Its slow, laborious, but I have planted the first seeds. Hartley I managed to convince to my side from the get-go, and Dibney was a lucky break with him being with Joe. Harleen and Ivy were the first pair; in the presence of Wonder Woman they are watered and fed. Joker was removed from the board and the Bat Clan got an upgrade. Arrow Team was already a given. Livewire and Lex were next, with a concerned Superman to keep them occupied. Slowly, I am creating something greater, something… better. You have already started monitoring certain individuals on your end and I will soon drop this time and the energy-consuming charade of being three people. Light Manipulation and Time Duplicates are not easy things to maintain, regardless of how much experience I have."

"Sir…" Gideon stated in worry.

"Yes?"

"A report has just been processed by the precinct - Clyde Mardon has just robbed a bank."

And so it has begun.

I smiled a wicked smile and presented flaunted myself to the world. "It's SHOWTIME!"


End file.
